Their Girl
by tartlover18
Summary: Stephanie Plum takes life by the horns and decides to make things happen for herself. In the process, she finds a new family at RangeMan and finds love in an unconventional relationship. This is a Strong Steph story with lots of humor and fun and very little angst. Contains smut but lots of plot and character development as well. BabeTart
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I decided that I wanted to have some fun with the characters in the Stephanie Plum series, and this story is the result of some brainstorming by myself and my amazing beta. To my beta, thank you SO much for fixing my errors, giving your ideas and feedback, and keeping me on track. This story is as much a result of your hard work as mine. I am so incredibly grateful for you!

To those reading this story, you need to know that it's largely AU and definitely unconventional. Characters aren't exactly cannon, but they're fun. This story will be funny, irreverent, have the vocabulary of a sailor, and will definitely be super hot. There will be smut and the title of the story should clue you in about the nature of the relationship that it will show. If you're not cool with non-traditional relationships, turn back now.

If you're still reading, enjoy! I'd love to get your feedback, thoughts, and encouragement in the reviews. I've already written about 20k words for this story and will publish regular updates. Thanks for reading!

Stephanie's POV

I sighed and threw open my closet, hoping to find an outfit that would bring me luck today. Probably I wouldn't – nothing seemed to go my way lately. My name is Stephanie Plum, and until six months ago life was going pretty well. I was a lingerie buyer for E.E. Martin. I had a cute little townhouse in Newark, far away from my mother and the Burg, and a candy apple red Mazda Miata that I loved. Then E.E. Martin got closed down by the Feds and the owners were charged with all kinds of bad things.

You'd think it would be easy for me to find another job, but you'd think wrong. I spent months pounding the pavement and putting in my application everywhere I could think of, even going so far as applying for a job at a local school cafeteria. Apparently you have to be able to actually cook something to work in a cafeteria. Who knew?!

So I sucked up my pride and moved back to the Burg, better known as Chambersburg. It's a small community in Trenton where people are born and never leave. I swore I'd never come back. Damn E.E. Martin. It was bad enough that I had to be this close to my mom and mooch dinners most nights in order to make it, but then the worst happened yesterday. My pretty little Mazda Miata – the love of my life – was repossessed by some jerk I went to high school with. That broke my heart worse than my divorce from The Dick.

That's right – my first husband, Dickie Orr, called himself The Dick. It was a perfect description for his character. What he had going on south of the border didn't even deserve a nickname, much less one that made it sound so amazing. He's a lawyer, and my mom was so excited when he asked me to marry him. I wasn't so sure, but I said yes anyway to make her happy. Teach me to do that again. I walked in and caught him on the dining room table balls deep in that skank Joyce Barnhardt before we'd even got our marriage license back in the mail. Bastard. I'm pretty sure I threw every plate and glass in the house at the jerk while he tried to explain why it was my fault. The nerve! He screwed me more thoroughly in the divorce than he ever did in the bedroom.

Anyway, back to the reason I was standing in front of my closet. After my Miata got repossessed, I called my dad for a ride and borrowed Big Blue from my Grandma once again. Big Blue was an indestructible tank that I had a long history with. I'm sure I'll tell you about that later. Let's just say that it should be registered as a lethal weapon. I was one month away from having to suck up my pride and move back home with my parents. My Grandma Mazur already lived with them, and the fights she and my dad got into over the one bathroom everyone had to share were epic. No way in the world I was living there. My mother had tried to cajole me into applying for a job at the button factory or the personal products plant, but the idea of working either of those places had me breaking out in hives and rocking in the corner. This girl needed to be free to fly.

My dad had mentioned after dinner that my scumbag cousin Vinnie the Weasel was looking for a filing clerk at his bail bonds office, so here I was trying to find the outfit that would help me get the job. I pulled out a cute black pencil skirt and a navy blue button up that I tucked into the skirt. I slid my feet into my black FMPs because a Jersey girl doesn't go anywhere without great shoes, and walked to my kitchen.

"What do you think, Little Guy?" I asked Rex as I dropped a grape in his cage. He just wiggled his cute little whiskers, grabbed his grape, and retreated back to his soup can. Must be nice to be a hamster.

I scarfed down a quick peanut butter and olive sandwich for lunch and then rinsed my plate off and loaded it in the dishwasher. Peanut butter and olive sandwiches were a staple in my food pyramid. Don't knock it 'til you've tried it. Satisfied that I looked as decent as I was going to look, I grabbed my keys and locked up my tiny apartment. I lived in a building full of seniors who fought over good parking places like they were gold and ate dinner at 4:30 so they could be all settled in their rocking chairs before the 5:00 news. Still, it was quiet, the rent was cheap, the elevator worked, and I wasn't living with my parents.

The drive to the bonds office only took a few minutes and I grimaced when I pulled up at the curb. I preferred not to claim any relation to Vinnie. He was a sleazy pervert who had been known to engage in extramarital activities with certain animals. Ew. Anything was better than living at home, though, so I gathered my will to grovel and got out of the car.

A wave of cold air hit me when I walked in, and I sighed in relief. Jersey in the summer was hot, and Big Blue didn't have air conditioning. One more reason to miss my Miata.

"Can I help you?" the woman at the desk asked me when she looked up from filing her nails. She had dark hair and curves on her curves. She looked like a real Betty Boop.

"Connie Risolli?" I asked. "It's Stephanie Plum." I had gone to high school with her little sister.

"Steph, it's so great to see you!" she exclaimed with a sincere smile. "What brings you in?"

"Well, my parents mentioned that Vinnie was looking for a file clerk and I need a job. I was hoping I could talk him into it," I explained.

Connie made a sympathetic noise in her throat and frowned. "I'm sorry, we already filled that position. We do need a BEA, though."

I scrunched up my nose and looked at her questioningly. "What's a BEA? I'm pretty sure if I don't know what it is I'm not qualified." So much for being hopeful.

"It's a Bond Enforcement Agent, or bounty hunter. When the person we've bonded out of jail doesn't show for court we have to bring them back in and get them re-bonded. A BEA hunts them down and brings them back in the system so Vinnie doesn't lose money," she explained. "You'd get to keep fifteen percent of the bond. It can add up fast."

She flipped a couple of folders my way so I could see the bond amounts. I did some quick math in my head and I think my eyes bugged out. I'd be able to pay my rent and keep Rex in hamster crunchies.

"I'll do it!" I quickly yelped. "What do I need to do?"

Just then the door behind Connie's desk opened and the sleaze ball himself walked out. "What the hell are you doing here?" he asked, looking between Connie and me.

"I've come to get a job as your new BEA," I said firmly, trying to sound more convinced than I actually felt. Probably it didn't work.

"What?!" he squeaked. "You're not qualified to do that job!"

I squared my shoulders and narrowed my eyes at Vinnie. "Know what I am qualified to do? Tell Lucille about the duck," I threatened. Lucille was his wife. The duck had been an extra-curricular activity that's illegal in most states. Need I say more? Vinnie's face turned pale and his palms began to sweat.

"You wouldn't?" he gasped.

"I will unless you give me this job," I promised.

He looked at me, quietly assessing for a minute, and then sighed. "Fine, but I'm not answering to Uncle Frank or Aunt Helen if you get hurt!" He disappeared back into his office and slammed his door.

"Is he always that pleasant?" I asked Connie, and she and I both laughed.

"Yeah, unfortunately. Normally I'd have you work with our other BEA for a few days to learn the ropes, but he's out having surgery on his shoulder. I'll call in a favor and get someone else I know to help you out some," Connie promised.

She picked up the phone and dialed while I stood there soaking up the air conditioning. After a very short conversation, she handed me a Post-It Note.

"He'll meet you at the little diner on Main at 4:00. His name is Ranger."

"How will I know who he is?" I asked as I looked at the note.

"Trust me, you'll know," she promised as she fanned herself.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks for all of your reviews for the first chapter! It excites me to see so many people reading and reviewing. I'll normally update once a week, but here's a bonus chapter for this week.

In answer to some reviews, this story will have lots of plot/character development while also having some incredibly hot scenes. No porn without plot here! Someone else mentioned pushing this outside of most peoples' comfort zones - we're definitely doing that! In fact, I'm not a new author. I've published several other (completed) stories, but due to the subject matter I chose to publish this one under a different name in order to maintain anonymity. Can't have everyone running me out of town for how being a non-traditionalist here. I'm writing away quickly, so the more reviews the more quickly you'll get new chapters. I've currently finished nine, so I've got a good head start.

Happy New Year, all!

* * *

Ranger's POV

I was in the middle of the morning from hell. We'd had a break in at a high-profile client overnight and Tank had gone in to secure the location while I ran point and coordinated our op. One of the shitheads who had broken in saw Tank, panicked and got off a shot. It barely grazed his arm and just required a couple of stitches from Bobby, our resident medic, but it was still a shitty way to start the day. Never fun to see your partner get shot.

Now I was wading through the paperwork on my desk, trying to get everything under control when my phone suddenly rang.

"Yo!" I barked into the offending device. I wasn't in the mood to talk with anyone at the moment.

"Ranger, it's Connie at the bonds office. We have a new BEA, and I was hoping you could show them the ropes." Christ. This was the last thing I wanted to deal with today. I had no patience for a bumbling bounty hunter, and I wasn't in the mood for any hero worship from some rookie.

"This really isn't a good time, Connie," I tried.

"You know you owe me one for getting Vinnie to pull his business from Les Sebring and give it to you instead. Consider this me officially calling in my favor. We'll be even after this," she promised.

"Fine, I'll meet them at the diner on Main at 4:00. One hour of my time and not a minute more," I barked and disconnected.

This was why I didn't like being in anyone's debt – no telling when they would decide to collect or what they would want. Still, Connie took good care of us and I needed to remain on her good side. I stood from my office chair and walked to the office next door, shutting the door behind me as I entered. I walked behind the desk and leaned against it as I looked at Tank. I reached down and stroked my hand down his cheek, assuring myself that he was okay.

"You doing alright?" I asked.

He smiled and nodded at me. "Yeah, I'm good. It's really just a scratch, Ric. You and I have both had far worse," he chuckled.

"Never gets easy to see the person you love get shot. Anyway, I was just coming to let you know that I'm going offsite for a meeting," I informed him.

"I didn't realize you had something. Need backup?" Tank offered.

"You're on light duty today, so you won't be anyone's backup, but I'm just meeting with a new BEA as a favor to Connie. I promised her exactly sixty minutes for this new guy and then he's on his own. You can ride along if you want."

"Sure thing, boss man," he replied as he stood up and walked toward the door.

I reached forward and smacked his ass. "I'll show you who the boss is later tonight," I growled while following him out the door.

"I was hoping you would," he smirked on the way to the stairs.

We took the stairs down to the garage two at a time and got into my black Cayenne for the short drive to the diner. We arrived before the BEA we were meeting, so we grabbed a booth in the back and both sat with our backs to the wall and a full view of the place.

"You know anything about this guy?" Tank asked as his eyes scanned the diner and parking lot.

"Just that he's not getting my phone number so I can save his ass or give him further advice or training," I stated firmly. I didn't have time for that shit.

"I'm right there with you there, man. I'm betting he's a civilian. He'll walk away if he knows what's best for him."

The door to the diner opened a cute little brunette with a fantastic body walked in. She had wild, curly hair, and when she turned to look at us I saw her piercing blue eyes looking at us curiously. She looked around the diner like she was here for someone she'd never met before and I bumped Tank's knee with mine.

"I'd rather meet her than this new guy. That's one sexy woman," I said quietly.

Tank chuckled and nodded. "If I wasn't so secure in our relationship I'd be offended. But you're right – she's easy on the eyes."

Her eyes locked on us right as he said that and she put on a determined look and walked toward our booth. She came to a stop right in front of us and wrinkled up her nose, seemingly in thought.

"Ranger?" she asked.

"The one and only," I replied with a smirk.

"Shit, Connie didn't tell me there'd be two of you and that you were both gorgeous," she whispered as though talking to herself. Tank and I started laughing, full belly laughs, and she looked up in shock. "I said that out loud? I have got to stop that!" she squeaked out embarrassed. Her cheeks and neck had turned a bright red.

"Yeah, but that's alright. I think it's cute. What can I do for you?" I asked her.

"I'm the new bounty hunter that Connie called you about. My name's Stephanie Plum."

I stared at her lips trying to make sure I'd heard her right and squeezed Tank's thigh under the table. There's no way I heard her right.

"You're the new BEA?" I asked. There was no way she was going to be able to take skips in without getting hurt.

"Yep," she replied, popping the P. She sighed. "Can I sit down?"

"Sure. This is Tank, by the way," I replied. She reached over and bumped knuckles with Tank and I laughed. Just then the waitress came over to check on us.

"Can I get 'ya anything?" she asked.

"Just waters for us," I answered quickly. "Anything for you, Babe?" Tank's eyes shot up to mine questioningly.

"I want an order of fries, a piece of that chocolate cream pie I saw on my way in and a Coke, please," Steph replied and the waitress walked off. She returned a minute later with our drinks and then left us in peace.

"So, are you going to teach me everything I need to know so I can be a badasses like you two?" she asked with a smile.

"Why don't you tell us what experience you have in bond enforcement?" Tank asked.

"My only experience is having the unfortunate displeasure of being related to Vinnie Plum, but it did give me blackmail material so I could force him to give me this job," she replied, grinning again.

"How about shooting? Weapons? Hand-to-hand combat? Surveillance?" I asked. Surely Vinnie didn't hire someone with no experience at all.

"No, no, and no. Well, unless you count running over some jackass with a Buick for revenge as using a weapon."

Tank and I both just stared at her. There was obviously more to her than meets the eye. The waitress came by and dropped off Stephanie's fries and pie and then left us alone again. Stephanie grabbed some fries and dipped them in ketchup. Her eyes practically rolled back in her head as she out a deep, soulful moan. My heart sped up and my cargos tightened uncomfortably. I'm certain Tank was in the same boat.

"Sorry," she said sheepishly. "I love food, and I can't help it."

"No need to apologize," I ground out. "Could you just excuse Tank and I for a minute? We'll be right back."

I nudged Tank out of the booth and chuckled to myself as he discreetly adjusted his pants. I walked toward the door with him on my heels and walked around to the deserted ally at the back of the building.

"Yes?" he asked amused. Smug bastard thought he was so damn funny.

"She'll get herself killed if we let her out on the streets by herself," I stated.

"What happened to one hour?" he smirked.

"Yeah, yeah, yuck it up over there. You're damn lucky I love you or I'd knock you out. We've been talking about bringing someone in to help with searches and office work. We could hire her and train her to become a bounty hunter if that's what she really wants, but she would have a job while she trains and we could make sure that we keep her safe."

Tank looked at me assessingly. He knew exactly what I was thinking. He reached out and tangled his fingers in mine. "Is this about Alyssa?" he asked quietly.

I swallowed hard and nodded. "She had that same love for life and those haunting blue eyes," I whispered. "I can't explain it, Tank, but I feel like we need to watch out for her."

We maintained eye contact for another minute and then he smiled. "Then let's go see if we can poach her from Vinnie. We can pick up his lower bonds as well and run them through RangeMan. We'll train her and she can get her feet wet with the easier ones."

The weight I'd felt at the thought of the danger that would come from Stephanie being out on the streets by herself lifted. I glanced around the alley to ensure we were alone and leaned in and gave Tank a fierce kiss.

"Thanks," I murmured.

We walked back around to the door and returned to the table where Steph was drinking her Coke and talking to the waitress. The waitress nodded toward us and walked away as we sat down.

"Sorry about that," I began. "Tank and I would like to train you so we can make sure you're safe on the streets. Part of being safe out there is having a partner who will have your back, too. We'd like to make you an offer. You can come to work full-time at our company and we'll contract for the bonds you'd be handling for Vinnie, too. We'll train you and you can help out with searches and office work until you're ready to be in the field. If you're interested we can meet at the office and talk about requirements, salary and benefits. What do you say, Babe?"

She looked at me in shock for a minute and then smiled. "Sounds great!" she agreed excitedly.

Tank took a few bills out and dropped them on the table to cover the check as she nodded and stood. I placed my hand on the small of her back to lead her to the door.

"We'll pick you up tomorrow morning at 0700, Little Girl," Tank informed her when we'd walked out the door.

"What's that in normal people time?" she asked with a confused look on her face.

"Seven o'clock in the morning," I chuckled.

"Are you sure my day couldn't start a little later? I am definitely not a morning person," she groaned.

"Fine, nine o'clock tomorrow, but know that if you come to work with us you'll figure out how to handle early mornings," I reluctantly agreed. My men would never let me hear the end of it if they knew this little wisp of a woman was talking me into bending my rules.

"That's at least better. I'll see you at nine o'clock. Let me find a piece of paper so I can write down my address." She turned her attention toward her purse and began digging.

"No need, I can find you," I promised with a chuckle. This was going to be interesting indeed.


	3. Chapter 3

Steph's POV

I felt like I'd just done this yesterday. I was once again standing in front of my closet trying to pick out an outfit. At least this time I already had the job - I just didn't have details yet. Ranger and Tank had both been decked out in SWAT black and armed to the teeth yesterday, so I figured I didn't need to worry about dressing up too much for the meeting with them this morning. I finally settled on a pair of ass-hugging skinny jeans, a fitted blue v-neck, and some brown sandals.

As soon as I'd clasped my necklace and put my earrings on there was a knock at the door. I took one last look in the mirror and smiled at my reflection. If I was going to be around two men as good looking as Ranger and Tank, I wanted to look damn good, too. I was in the middle of a long dry spell and my shower massager was working overtime. It's a good thing I didn't have to pay for it by the hour.

I walked to the door and looked through the peephole to make sure it was who I was expecting before pulling the door open.

"Hey, guys. Let me just grab my purse and I'll be ready to leave," I told them.

"No problem. Looking good there, Babe," Ranger replied. That man had a bedroom voice that made me weak in the knees.

"Thanks. You don't look so bad yourself," I shot back, willing my cheeks not to blush and my mouth to stay shut so I didn't accidentally share any of my private thoughts. That was priority one today. I grabbed my purse up and turned back to the door. "Alright, let's do this."

We walked down to the parking lot where a gorgeous black Porsche Cayenne was parked in the first space. Of course, Big Blue was parked by the dumpster. These senior citizens were territorial over parking spaces. Ranger placed his hand on my back and walked me to the rear passenger door. He helped me in and then shut the door and jogged around to the driver's side while Tank got in the front seat.

Both Ranger and Tank seemed to go into a zone on the short drive to the office, and it felt like I would be interrupting the peace if I started a conversation. Instead, I sat back into the butter-soft leather seats and sighed happily. Okay, maybe it came out as more of a moan. I can't help it if the car smelled like the two very sexy men sitting in the front seat. Ranger's eyes shot back to me in the rearview mirror when I made my happy noise and he smirked at me.

"You okay back there, Babe?" he chuckled.

"Just dandy," I replied softly. The car...the smell...they were magic. I'd probably tell them anything they ever wanted to know right now.

We arrived at a nondescript multi-story building a few minutes later. There was a gated parking garage, and Ranger pulled the SUV into a space right next to the elevator when we arrived. Tank got out and opened my door for me, offering his hand to help me get out. I accepted his help and let him lead me to meet Ranger at the elevator.

"Welcome to RangeMan. We'll meet upstairs in my office," Ranger said when we joined him. We stepped onto the elevator and Tank pressed the button for five. It dinged a moment later and the doors opened to reveal a wall of SWAT black. I took a look at the men who were watching us come off the elevator and couldn't help the moan that came from my mouth. Holy shit, they were all sex on legs. My Hungarian hormones would be out of control if I worked here. I'd have to have tons of sugar to keep me from jumping them.

Suddenly the men all started laughing and I looked up horrified. "Out loud?" I asked.

"Yeah, Little Girl," Tank said with a laugh. What was it with these guys giving me nicknames?

"Sorry about that," I replied with a blush. "Can't blame a girl for getting flustered, right? Nice to meet you all." I gave them a little finger wave and a sincere smile.

Tank placed his hand on the small of my back and led me down the hall. "These jokers were just getting back to work, weren't you?" he barked, and they all instantly hopped to and moved out.

We walked into a large office and Ranger shut the door behind us. "Have a seat," he instructed me, pointing to the two guest chairs in front of his desk. I plopped down in the chair closest to me and Tank chose the other while Ranger sat behind his desk.

"Let me explain a bit about RangeMan. We're a security company made up primarily of ex-military men. We have offices here in Trenton as well as Boston, Miami, and Chicago. We provide monitored security systems, security details, consulting services, bond enforcement, and also contract with the government. We're big on structure and discipline here, and you would be expected to fall in with the rules. You would be expected to spend five hours a week in the gym for cardio and strength training as well as additional time for self-defense training. You'll also have to become comfortable with using and carrying a firearm and proficient at other important skills."

"I'll have to exercise?!" I squeaked. I didn't do physical activity.

"Yes, and you'll also have to abide by certain dietary practices while here on site. Our company medic will work with you to create a plan that works well for you since women have different needs than men do. I assure you that he'll keep your need for sugar in mind," he teased, and I blushed furiously.

I blew out a breath and shifted in my seat. I wasn't so sure about this.

"You won't be in the field until we feel comfortable with your training. Until then, we have plenty of office work and searches to keep you busy. We will contract to bring in all the bonds that you would have handled for Vinnie and run them through RangeMan. If you agree to sign a contract and come to work here, it does include certain benefits as well." He stopped to slide a folder over to me. "Take a moment and look over it."

Ranger sat back and he and Tank watched as I opened the folder and read the papers. "You did a background check on me?!" I yelped. What the hell?

"We do a background check on all potential employees, Babe. There's too much at stake for us not to know our employees."

I nodded. Probably that made sense. Besides, it's not like I had anything to hide. My entire scandalous life had been broadcast to the Burg and was public knowledge. I flipped to the next page and nodded along as I read the written list of the responsibilities Ranger had just outlined. I wasn't so sure that I could handle the gym and learning to use a gun, but I also didn't have much of a choice if I didn't want to relocate to my childhood bedroom.

I turned the page again to one entitled "Salary and Benefits". My eyes bugged out and my jaw dropped as I saw what I'd be making. It was a smidge more than I'd made at E.E. Martin. That would ensure I didn't have to keep mooching meals in order to avoid starving or being homeless.

My eyes moved down the page and I literally quit breathing for a minute. Benefits included the usual - health insurance, dental, 401k - but it also included an apartment onsite if I wanted it and a company vehicle. Holy shit! Ranger must have seen my shock and excitement because he chuckled at me.

"We have someone here onsite who cooks for the men and takes care of the building. The fourth floor is employee apartments, and we actually do have a one-bedroom open currently that you would be welcome to if you'd like."

"Hurry up and give me the pen before you change your mind!" I said excitedly, and both of the men laughed at me. Tank handed me a pen and I quickly signed my name. This seemed too good to be true.

"Let us be the first to officially welcome you to the team," Ranger said with a smile. "Would you like to stay where you're living now or move in here?"

I wrinkled my nose and thought about it for a minute. "Can I see the open apartment?" I asked.

"Of course. I have something to take care of, but Tank will show you the apartment and introduce you to the guys. If I know them at all, they'll be begging you to stay for lunch in the breakroom. I'll leave you to Tank."

Ranger stood and crossed the room to the door to meet Tank and me. Tank reached for the door handle with his right hand as Ranger reached forward and grabbed his left hand. They shared a tender look that immediately spoke volumes about how they felt about each other and then Tank escorted me toward the door marked stairs. We started down the flight of stairs and I guess my mouth ran away from me.

"Can I ask you a question?" I asked Tank quietly.

He tensed and looked at me appraisingly. "You can ask."

"How long have you and Ranger been together?"

"I guess the answer depends on why you want to know."

I felt like I'd taken a wrong step here. Something in the question obviously bothered Tank. "It's just obvious from seeing you two that you care for each other deeply and have been together a while. I hope I'm able to find that with someone someday," I answered.

Tank's posture relaxed and he smiled at me. "We've been together for about eight years. The guys all know, but outside of the building and our families we keep it locked up tight. And as for you, I'm sure you'll find it soon," he replied.


	4. Chapter 4

Steph's POV

Tank stopped in front of a door and unlocked it with a small plastic fob. He held the door open for me and I walked in before him. We walked into a small hallway that opened into an open living room and eat-in kitchen. The apartment was done in subdued neutrals and felt very peaceful. The kitchen was twice the size of the one at my apartment and much nicer with granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. The living room was open and already had a couch and entertainment center with a flat screen TV that looked bigger than my bathroom.

I walked through the door off the living room and into a spacious bedroom with a king-size bed with a mattress that was still wrapped in plastic. Off the bedroom was a huge walk-in closet that I'm pretty sure I could get lost in and a beautiful bathroom. I couldn't help the smile on my face as I looked around and saw the granite countertops and beautiful cabinets, but the tub and shower did it. There was a huge garden tub in one corner and a tiled shower big enough to hold four people in the other, but the piece de resistance was the deluxe shower massager installed in the shower. I could so get down with that!

"When can I move in?!" I asked excitedly.

Tank chuckled and smiled at me. "As soon as you want. You're welcome to use this furniture if you'd like; if you prefer to use what you have we'll put this in storage downstairs. We'll get together a crew to help you pack and move. Just make sure you keep Santos out of your lingerie drawer - you'll meet him shortly. We may not be conventional, but we're a big family here at RangeMan, especially in Trenton, and you're one of us now."

"That would be great. I'm ready to move whenever works for you all," I agreed. I'd be stupid not to take this apartment. It was a hundred times nicer than where I was now; there was a parking garage for my company vehicle, and I didn't have to pay rent. I reached up and pinched my arm hard. "Ouch!"

"Did you just pinch yourself?" Tank asked with a laugh.

"Well, yeah. This just seems too good to be true," I admitted.

Tank chuckled and shook his head before looking at his watch. "The guys should be in the break room soon. You ready to meet them and grab some lunch?"

"Absolutely!" I agreed just as my stomach let out a loud, unladylike noise that made me blush. "Sorry, I didn't realize how hungry I was."

Tank just laughed and led me back to the stairs. "Are we going far?" I asked when we approached the door. I didn't like stairs anymore than I liked The Dick.

"Just one flight, Little Girl. You can do it."

I nodded and followed Tank up the stairs and past Ranger's office to the break room. There were black-clad badasses sitting around the large table eating and laughing, but they all looked up and grew quiet when I walked in.

"Do I have toilet paper stuck to my foot or something?" I asked jokingly. They were all staring at me.

"You're fine; they're just not used to seeing a woman other than Ella in the building. Guys, this is Steph. She's going to be joining us here. Stephanie, this is part of our crew. You'll meet more of the guys later. Now, help yourself to some food before that beast roars again."

I blushed again and walked to the counter where there were sandwiches, a huge crockpot of soup, fruit, and drinks set out. I dished up a bowl of the beef stew and grabbed what looked like a turkey sandwich along with a banana. I turned back toward the table to look for an empty chair, but I didn't have to look long.

"Right here, Beautiful. Come sit by Sexy Santos," said a tall man with spiky dark hair and beautiful green eyes.

"I think I was warned about you," I teased as I approached him.

"Damn straight!" Tank exclaimed, and all the guys laughed. "I had to warn her to keep you out of her unmentionables when we help her pack to move into the building."

I sat down next to Les and got ready to dig into my food as the guys all started talking, apparently planning my move for me.

"I'm off shortly. I'll get a group together and help you; we'll have you packed and moved in tonight," Les said enthusiastically. There was a flurry of other guys agreeing to help and conversation about how best to accomplish the task, but this girl was in desperate need of food. I got a spoonful of stew and let loose a low, soulful moan at the delicious flavor explosion in my mouth. The room got completely silent and the guys all stared at me.

"Shit, Beautiful," Les growled, and I blushed instantly.

"Sorry, guys," I said sheepishly.

"Don't be," Tank cut in. "It's refreshing to see a woman who actually enjoys her food."

"Yeah, no need to apologize," a dark-haired, blue-eyed man across the table agreed. "I'm Ram, by the way."

The guys each took their turns introducing themselves. I met Hal, Cal, Ram, Les, and Junior and quickly realized that I would fit right in here. They all had a wicked sense of humor and seemed to be really close. We finished our lunch and Santos excused himself from his office for the rest of the afternoon to help me get ready to move.


	5. Chapter 5

Ric's POV

I took a few deep breaths, trying to shake off the last couple of hours of my day, and walked to the stairwell to go to the penthouse. Tank and some of the guys had helped Stephanie move into her apartment on four, and Tank had let me know he was back home about half an hour ago. I initially planned to help with the move but had gotten detained by pressing business involving our contract with one of the US's many alphabet agencies.

I walked into the penthouse on seven and felt the tension melt away. Tank was sitting on the couch in some shorts and had two beers sitting there waiting on me. I disappeared into our bedroom and ditched my gun belt and boots before shucking my uniform. I grabbed a pair of black silk boxers from the drawer, pulled them on, and then walked back out to the living room.

I approached the couch and Tank immediately reached out and pulled me down next to him. He popped the top on our beers and handed mine to me while he took a pull from his.

"Gracias, Gordito," I said softly before leaning over and kissing him. "Steph all moved in, I guess?"

Tank nodded. "Yes, and I threatened to cut off Les's balls if he tries to get into her pants. I think he's a bit too fond of her," Tank chuckled.

I thought on that and frowned. I didn't like the idea of my cousin trying to seduce her at all. In fact, it pissed me off like few things do.

Tank must have noticed the look on my face because he reached over and smoothed my brow. "What's that face for, Ric?"

I scrubbed my hands down my face and sat there silently for a minute. Why did this bother me so much?

"Is it just Les that you don't like the thought of her being with, or is it anyone?" he pressed. He seemed to know me better than I know myself sometimes.

"When it was you and me and Alyssa, it was good," I said quietly, my mind thinking back. Tank and I had met Alyssa on a mission and had both fallen for her quickly. She was a force of nature and full of life. We'd spent almost two years together when she'd gotten called away on her own. I had begged my handler to send one of us with her because I had a bad feeling about it, but nothing I said could convince him. She had been sent to infiltrate a drug cartel in Colombia and we never saw her again. Her body had been found two months after she missed her first check in. From what we could tell, she had been discovered and taken out by the cartel. The only solace that we had was that we'd been allowed to go in and finish the job. Tank and I both got to be there to send their leader to meet his maker.

It had been rough for a while after we lost Alyssa. We both blamed ourselves for not somehow managing to be there to protect her. When we met Steph and I saw that she had that same love for life and ability to draw you in, I'd instantly known we had to be there to keep her safe.

"That doesn't answer my question," Tank interrupted. He reached over and tangled his fingers with mine as he looked at me like he was trying to read my mind.

"Santos is a player; he would just fuck her and then move on. That wouldn't be good for the team," I answered, trying to dodge his question.

"Don't avoid my question, Ric," Tank demanded firmly, and it definitely got my attention. I was the aggressor and the more in-control person in our relationship, while he tended to be more soft spoken and responsive when we were alone. It was rare for him to use that tone with me. "It's okay for you to miss what we had with Alyssa. Do you see Steph and wonder if we could have that with her?" he pressed.

I took a deep breath and nodded. "I do," I said quietly, afraid to even admit as much to myself. I hadn't even considered adding a woman to our relationship since we'd lost Alyssa - it seemed like opening myself up to hurt - but there was a large part of me that felt like mine and Tank's relationship was missing the softness that a woman could bring. We seemed to work even better together when we had a more feminine presence next to us. It somehow made us both feel more complete, more fulfilled. "What about you?" I whispered.

"There's something about her that makes me want to get closer to her," he agreed. "She's a strong woman and doesn't need a man in her life, which is insanely sexy, and I can't help but hope she might be open to having two men in her life. She's a little unorthodox, determined, and funny as hell. I think she could be what we've both felt like we were missing."

"So you're willing to give it a shot?" I asked hopefully. I hadn't realized just how much I had missed sharing our lives with a woman until Steph walked into that diner.

Tank nodded and smiled softly. "Yeah, I am. I think it would be good for us, and she's exactly what we need in a woman. Let's start getting to know her better and let her into our lives and see how it goes. It's been a while since either of us have wooed a woman," he chuckled.

I smiled gratefully and leaned in and kissed him fiercely, pouring my love and gratitude into our embrace. I slipped my tongue past his lips and groaned as he met my aggression with equal fervor. It was such a turn on when he took charge. I broke from the kiss and slid off of the couch to kneel in front of him.

"Let Operation Woo Babe begin," I whispered. "But first, I think I need to show you just how much I love you," I growled as I slid his shorts down his legs and took him in my hand. I licked my lips and dipped to take him into my mouth. I'd make damn sure he knew how grateful I was for him before the night was over.


	6. Chapter 6

Tank's POV

I laughed as I watched Stephanie stumble into the gym the next morning. She wasn't kidding when she said that she wasn't a morning person. Her eyes were tired and she looked like she might growl at anyone who dared talk to her, but she still looked sexy as hell in her short, tight shorts and sports bra. She approached Ric and I and gave us a mutinous look.

"I'm here. I swear, you must hate me," she groused, and we both laughed out loud.

"It will get easier every day, I promise," I reassured her as I reached out to tuck a riotous curl that had escaped her ponytail behind her ear.

"I need coffee," she murmured, almost as if she was talking to herself.

"After your workout, Babe. You don't want to exercise with that on your stomach. Now, let's get started." Ric and I had decided that we would handle her physical and firearms training and have Bobby work with her on nutrition. We have some of the other guys lined up to teach her various other skills that were important for someone in our line of business to know.

We led her over to the treadmills and got her set at a fast walk. "Thirty minutes at this pace. We'll work you up to a run," Ric explained.

"Treadmills are boring," she whined as she started walking.

"We can do this portion of your workout outside anytime you want to. Just let one of us know," Ric promised and that seemed to placate her.

Ric and I hopped up on either side of her and set our treadmills for a run. Steph was focused and did surprisingly well on her walk with very little whining. We'd both expected much worse. After our time on the treadmill we got her baseline number for sit ups, push ups, and pull ups, and then we spent some time with her on the mats evaluating her self defense skills. What she lacked in skill, and she certainly lacked a lot, she at least made up for with determination and stubbornness.

"I swear you're both trying to kill me," she growled as I took her down to the mats once again. She wiggled her tight little body underneath me and I inhaled sharply and rolled off of her, hoping that I'd been able to hide my reaction to feeling her so close to me. Damn, that woman was sexy. I certainly appreciated her looking all nice with her hair and makeup done up, but she looked even sexier in the gym all sweaty wearing next-to-nothing. I could tell Ric wasn't unaffected either.

"We're not trying to kill you, Babe. We're trying to make sure you don't end up dead. Now, that's enough for today. Go take a long shower and enjoy your coffee. Morning meeting is at 0800 in the conference room, but you can have a pass for today. I'll see you in my office at 9:00 to go through our search programs," Ric explained.

Steph jumped up and smiled a broad smile, the first one we'd seen all morning. "Thanks, Boss Man," she said gratefully before scampering out of the gym

Ric and I both watched her until she was out the door and then turned our gaze toward each other. "I think you and I need to head up to seven for our showers this morning instead of the locker room. She's got me in one hell of a state," Ric growled and I nodded and started toward the door. We'd probably traumatize the guys in the locker room with the mood we were both in after having our hands all over Steph for the past hour.

We ran up the stairs two at a time and practically sprinted into the penthouse. Ric pushed me roughly against the door the moment it was closed and began kissing and nipping at my neck and my chest. I moaned as he bit down on my nipple and knew I'd be lucky to be able to sit down after he'd had his way with me this morning. I wouldn't have it any other way right now. Sometimes Ric was incredibly tender and loving like he had been last night, and other times we were rough and primal. There was no room for sweet and loving this morning.

"You have ninety seconds to be naked and ready for me in the shower," Ric commanded, his voice deep and rumbling against my chest. He pushed me toward the shower and smacked me on the ass. "The clock is ticking."

I took off for the shower at a run, shedding my workout shorts and shoes on the way. I turned the water to hot and jumped in, every inch of my body antsy with anticipation for what was to come. I heard Ric enter the bathroom a few seconds later as I reached down and began stroking my thick erection while letting out low moans. He loved to watch me, and I was in the mood to pull the tiger's tail in hopes of getting him to lose control with me this morning.

Ric's clothes hit the floor in an instant and suddenly he was in the shower behind me. "I should make you get down on your knees and suck my dick, but I can't wait," he growled lowly. He bent me over and I braced myself against the wall knowing full well he was losing his legendary control. He grabbed my hips and bent down and licked me and I felt like my legs would collapse. Only seconds later he spread me open with his fingers, stretching me gently open for him, and then plunged his entire length into me, causing me to let out a whimpering growl and arch my back into him. He leaned down over me and bit onto my shoulder as he pumped into me furiously. This was exactly what I needed - Ric rough, in control and owning me. He reached around and began stroking my dick as he pumped harder into my ass and I mumbled incoherently. "Think Steph would like to watch us? Can you picture her touching herself as she watches me take you? Or maybe underneath you, you fucking her while I fuck you?" he growled, and that was all it took. I exploded all over the shower wall as he stroked me to completion. Only seconds later he groaned and came with a stream of Spanish expletives. "Fuck, Gordito!"

He gave a few more shallow thrusts and then pulled out and turned me toward him, his hands running over me softly. "You okay?" he asked with a concerned look. It was one of the things I loved about him - how he could be so rough and unrestrained with me one minute and the next he was so concerned.

"Never been better, Jefe," I replied with a wink.

Our primal needs satisfied, we washed each other tenderly and then got dressed to head down to the morning meeting. We walked into the conference room a few minutes before 0800, both of us sated and in our zones.

The morning meeting was uneventful. It had been a quiet night for our accounts and we didn't have any high dollar skips outstanding at the moment, so it was business as usual. Ric cleared his throat after the last report was given.

"We have a new employee starting with us today; many of you got to meet her yesterday. Her name is Stephanie, and you are to treat her with respect. I know that having a woman on the team is new, but I think she'll be a great asset. She will be training and assisting with searches and other tasks in the office until I feel confident that she can work safely in the field. Take every opportunity to teach her the skills she needs in order to work here and ensure that you keep her safe. As far as you jokers are concerned, she's off limits. No asking her out on dates, no trying to get her into your bed, and no funny business. You don't follow that order, you'll meet Tank and me both on the mats. Any questions?"

The guys all stared silently at Ric, I'm sure all trying to figure out what was going on. "Dismissed!" he barked, and the men began talking all at once and filed out of the room.

"Think that will keep them from her?" I asked when the room was empty.

"Probably not, but hopefully it will buy us some time to get her comfortable around us."


	7. Chapter 7

Ric's POV

"Look at this search and tell me what you see," I said as I handed the printed papers to Steph. We'd just spent a couple of hours going over how we do research and the programs we used to get our intel. We'd gone on from there to go over takedown scenarios in order to give her a better idea of what information would be most helpful to us. She'd caught on quickly and seemed to have good instincts when it came to pulling pertinent information from the reports.

I sat back in my chair and watched as she read through the reports. She had a habit of chewing on her highlighter and tugging on the curls that were falling into her face. At risk of losing my status as a badass, I thought she looked adorable. I'm sure I could blow through enough ammo on the range to erase any questions about me going soft. She uncapped the highlighter and began circling and highlighting parts of the information on a skip we needed to pick up soon.

"What catches your eye, Babe?" I asked a few minutes later.

Her big blue eyes met mine and I couldn't help but chuckle when she wrinkled up her nose and bit her lip.

"He seems to be at McGuinn's Place every Thursday night based on his credit card transactions. I'm pretty sure that's ladies' night there, so he's probably looking to pick someone up. I think you could use a distraction to pick him up there, or maybe even grab him in the parking lot when he arrives," she thought out loud while she was still flipping through the papers.

"Proud of you, Babe," I said with a warm smile, and her face lit up at the compliment. She put on a tough face, but I was beginning to see that she really had a heart of gold. I'd watched her with my men today during breaks and was impressed by how at ease she was around them. Most people, women especially, tended to be frightened by our sheer size and badass personas, but it didn't phase Steph at all. She treated us all like we were friends that she'd known forever.

"You ready to wrap up for the night?" I asked. We'd been at it quite a while and she was looking tired.

She sat the papers down on my desk and stretched her neck and shoulders. "Yeah. I'm already sore from my workout this morning. I think I'll find some Ibuprofen and grab a sandwich from the break room and then settle in for the night."

"Why don't you come up and join Tank and me for dinner? Ella is bringing something up. We can have a beer and relax. I bet you can even con one of us into a massage to help your sore muscles," I offered. I was desperate to spend some time with her outside of the office, and I know Tank was, too.

Steph looked at me assessingly and I could almost see the wheels turning in her head. "Don't you and Tank want some time alone?" she asked.

"Tank and I can have some time alone after you go back to your apartment. We'd really like to spend some time getting to know you better," I reassured her.

"If you're sure I won't be any bother," she finally agreed, and I gave her a warm smile in return.

"Why don't you head down to your apartment and change into something comfortable? You can use this fob in the elevator to get up to seven; we have the entire floor," I said as I handed her a spare key fob from my desk.

"Sounds good."

Steph walked out of my office and I quickly shut things down and locked up my office. I hurried up to the penthouse and walked in just as Ella was leaving dinner. I thanked her on her way out and then turned to Tank.

"Steph is going to come up and have dinner with us. I'm hoping we can start getting her comfortable around us," I told him excitedly.

"You're like a kid in a candy store right now, Ric," Tank chuckled. "You do realize we're going to have to open up to her and let her get to know us, right? None of that closed off bullshit if you want this to work."

"I know. I'm going to go change. You want to grab a couple of beers? She should be up anytime," I informed him.

He nodded as I walked toward our bedroom. Neither Tank nor I necessarily felt the need for clothes normally when we were home, but I didn't want to make Steph feel uncomfortable by walking around in boxers, so I pulled on some basketball shorts and my old Army t-shirt. A knock sounded at the door just as I walked back into the kitchen and I walked over and opened it.

"Come on in, Babe," I greeted her when I opened the door. Tank handed us both a beer and I led Steph to the dining table. "Downstairs we're the bosses; in our home we're friends and much more relaxed. Welcome to our home."

I held up my beer bottle and we all clinked them together before taking a long pull from them.

"Thank you for having me. It's nice to have friends in the building; everyone has been so nice to me," Steph replied with a smile.

"Good, I'm glad that our men are treating you well. You hungry?" I asked just as her stomach growled.

"I could eat," she deadpanned, and we all laughed.

I took the plates and served Tank and Steph up the chicken, veggies, and rice that Ella had prepared before serving myself. It was part of the irony in mine and Tank's relationship - while I was the aggressor, more of the alpha male in our relationship, I was also a caregiver to him.

"So, tell us about yourself, Babe," I asked as we ate our dinner.

"You mean there are things you don't know about me after that incredibly personal background check?" she shot back, and I'm fairly certain both Tank and I blushed.

"We'd like for you to let us get to know you better, and we'll do the same," Tank cut in, and I smiled at him gratefully.

"Fair enough I guess. You know the basics - age, work history, marital status. I was born and raised in the Burg and have spent most of my adult life trying to escape it. I'm the youngest child in my family, and I call my older sister Saint Valerie because she can apparently do no wrong. I, on the other hand, can do no right. I was married for all of five seconds before I found my ex-husband fucking my arch nemesis on our brand new dining room table. I haven't been seriously involved with anyone since. I wanted to know that I could stand on my own two feet without a man taking care of me. I'm unconventional, much to my mother's dismay. She wants me to settle with with a good Burg husband and be barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen, but I'm not interested in any of the above," Steph shared.

"Not interested in relationships at all, or just the ones your mother wants for you?" I pressed.

"No, I would love to find someone I could share my life with, but it will never be the way my mom hopes it will be. I'm not your typical princesses and fairy tales girl. I don't even know that I want to get married again - I'm not against it, but it would definitely have to be right. I don't need a ring; I just want commitment and faithfulness. Apparently that's too much to ask for, though," she said with a frown.

"It's not too much to ask for at all," Tank corrected her. "That's what Ric and I have."

"Yes, well unless you have some straight relatives who are just as good a man as you two are I don't see it happening," she pouted, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"What's important to you in a relationship?" I asked her.

She took another pull from her beer bottle and thought for a minute. "I need someone I can trust without question. I want to be with a man I can laugh with and share my whole life with. I don't know that I ever want kids, so he needs to be okay with that. I want someone I can come home to at the end of the day and just enjoy being with. And he has to accept me for who I am rather than wanting to change me," she added. "Is it weird that I'm talking about this to my bosses? It's like I lose all of my social inhibitions around you two; you make me feel too comfortable." She blushed as she confessed this and I couldn't help but reach over and ruffle her curls.

"It's not weird at all. Like I said earlier, here we're just friends. Maybe you would feel a bit more comfortable if we shared a bit about ourselves, too?" I asked. Tank caught my eye and winked at me, already seeing where I was going with this. Steph nodded so I continued.

"Tank and I met back in high school in Miami. I had gotten involved with a gang in Newark and my parents sent me to live with my Abuela. Tank lived down the street and we've been friends since. He and I enlisted together when we were nineteen. We went through all of our training together and then started running missions together in special forces. Our romantic relationship started out as rare hookups to relieve some stress, but we eventually realized neither of us had any desire to pursue anyone else. It just kind of happened. Fortunately, both of our families have been extremely accepting and supportive, although they do wish we could give them more grandchildren. Before Tank and I got together, I got a girl pregnant while we were on leave and we have a daughter named Julie. She lives with her mom and stepdad in Miami. My family's happy I at least gave them one."

"My parents treat Julie like she's their granddaughter, too, and I'm Uncle Tank to her. She's one of mine and Ric's biggest supporters," Tank added.

"Now, how about that massage that I offered?" I asked when she'd taken her last bite. I didn't want the conversation to get too serious.

Steph nodded and we stood and walked over to the couch. Tank sat down on one end of the couch and laid a pillow right next to him. "Put your head here," he instructed Steph, and I helped guide her into place. She laid down on her stomach with her head on the pillow and I sat in the floor next to her and began massaging her shoulders as Tank worked on her neck and massaged her scalp.

"Holy shit, this feels amazing," Steph moaned, and Tank and I shared a heated look. She was very vocal in her appreciation of the massage, and we were both certainly fighting our bodies' visible reactions to her moans.

"Just relax and let us take care of you, Babe," I encouraged her. I felt her entire body relax and melt into the couch as I worked my way down her calves and feet while Tank continued his work on her neck and shoulders.

"If they keep this up, I'll be begging them to turn straight," Steph mumbled, and Tank and I both laughed loudly. "Fuck me! I have got to stop doing that. It's like giving information to the enemy," she growled when she heard us.

"Ah, come on now. Don't think of us as the enemy, Little Girl," Tank soothed and she soon relaxed again. We continued massaging her for a bit longer until her breathing shifted. "She's asleep," Tank whispered.

I stood up from the floor and kissed Tank. "You need anything while I'm up?" I asked.

He shook his head no and I smiled as I watched him continue to run his fingers through her hair. I picked up Steph's feet and sat down on the couch before placing them in my lap.

"Want to watch some TV for a bit while she sleeps and then we'll get her down to her apartment for the night?" I offered. I wasn't in any hurry for her to leave here; I felt a peace and wholeness I hadn't felt since before we'd lost Alyssa.

"Yeah, I'm not ready to give her up yet," Tank agreed.

I picked up the remote and switched on the news. We were silent as we both watched world events unfold on the screen.

"This feels nice...like home," I whispered to him.

"Yeah. Hopefully she feels it too," he agreed.

We watched the news for another half hour before reluctantly agreeing that we needed to get her in bed and get some rest ourselves. I stood and picked Steph up, cradling her against my body, and I smiled as she burrowed into my chest and sighed.

"You're such a goner," Tank chuckled quietly while picking up her shoes, phone, and keys.

"Watch it - you're no better," I teased.

"Hooah!" came his soft reply.

We took the elevator down to four and I carried her carefully down the hall toward her room. Les was just coming out of his room as we passed it and he gave me a questioning look. "Is this why she's off limits to all of us jokers, Primo?" he asked. I could see in his eyes that he didn't mean any harm with the question. He'd stood by Tank and I when we lost Alyssa and he knew what this would mean to us.

"Affirmative," I whispered.

"Good for you both," he said with a wide smile. He slapped us both on the backs as we passed.

Tank unlocked Steph's door and pulled back the covers on her bed so I could lay her down. I placed her gently in the bed and then Tank pulled the covers up over her. She stirred a bit and opened her blue eyes just enough to see us.

"Sleep well, Babe," I whispered.

"You two are good men. Night," she mumbled.

Tank reached down and ruffled her curls one more time and then took my hand as we stepped out of her room. It had been a very good night indeed.


	8. Chapter 8

Steph's POV

I woke up Wednesday morning with no memory of getting myself from Ranger and Tank's apartment to mine. I rubbed my sleepy eyes and sat up as I hit the off button on my alarm. I stretched as I made my way to the shower and the lack of soreness in my muscles brought it all back - I had fallen asleep upstairs in their apartment during my massage. I had a vague memory of waking up just enough to know they put me in my bed. How embarrassing! Hopefully it wasn't awkward this morning.

I quickly went through my morning business in the bathroom and threw on my gym clothes and sneakers to go meet the guys in for my morning workout. I grabbed a bottle of water and took the stairs down to the gym, arriving right on time.

"Good morning, Little Girl," Tank greeted me with a big smile when I walked in. "Did you sleep well?"

"Well, I don't quite remember going to sleep, and I'm certain the bedtime fairy must have put me in my bed because I know I wasn't awake when I left your apartment last night," I answered with a sheepish smile.

"Fairy, Babe? Really?" Ranger huffed, and I couldn't help but laugh. "I'm a sexy badass, not a fairy."

"My apologies to the sexy badass. Do you need Tank to kiss it and make it better?" I teased.

"I think I may," Ranger grumbled, and Tank leaned over and laid one hell of a kiss on him.

"Holy shit, that was hot. These panties are definitely ruined," I whispered without even thinking. I expected some kind of comment but I just got two 100 watt smiles and a wink from them in return.

"Since you made your dislike of the treadmill clear yesterday I thought we'd head outside this morning. Sound good?" Ranger asked, and I nodded.

He laced his fingers with Tank's and then grabbed my hand with his other hand, leading us both to the stairs. I was so surprised by his contact that I didn't even think to fuss about going down the stairs instead of taking the elevator. We emerged on the ground floor and it was like a light switch was flipped when we got to the door to leave the building. All physical contact between the two men was gone and their badass personas were on full display.

They coaxed me into a slow jog that required all of my concentration and left no room for conversation. They both seemed to be in their zone, and I just kept putting one foot in front of the other to keep up. At least I had their sexy asses to stare at if I was going to jog. Maybe that's why I had never liked exercise before - I didn't have the right motivation.

We finished our jog and then returned to the gym for more weight training and all the "ups" - sit ups, push ups, and pull ups. Might as well call them torture. After that it was apparently Ranger's turn to throw me around on the mats while Tank coached me. I was only marginally more successful than yesterday but I guess that was to be expected.

Ranger seemed to be purposely lighting fires all over my body as he touched me - a gentle stroke up my side before he grabbed my arms, lingering a bit longer when he took me down and was on top of me. I half expected Tank to say something to him, but if he noticed he sure as hell didn't say anything about it. By the time we finished my self defense training, I thought I might either spontaneously combust or mount Ranger right there in the middle of the gym. Probably neither one was a good idea.

I practically sprinted up the stairs when we were finished - there was no time to wait on the damned elevator - and stripped as soon as I walked into my bathroom. I wasted no time in turning the shower on and adjusting the temperature to just where I wanted it. I closed my eyes and flashed back to Tank kissing Ranger in the gym and my mind took over, turning the kiss into one hell of a hot fantasy.

I slid one hand between my wet folds and let out a desperate moan at the much-needed stimulation. I rolled my nipple with the other hand before using it to reach for the shower massager. I switched it to the right setting and my legs almost collapsed when I sprayed it on my clit. I sat down hard on the shower bench and slid two fingers inside myself as I held the spray on that magic spot. I fell apart, shaking and spasming with abandon, as I pictured Ranger watching me pleasure myself while Tank went down on him. Fuck! I had to get myself under control. They were my bosses - my gay bosses at that. I needed to find a new fantasy stat!

My breathing returned to normal and I finally calmed while I washed off all the sweat from my workout and by the time I was dressed and standing in front of Tank's office I felt like I could behave like a lady, or as much of a lady as I ever really was.

"You gonna come in or you gonna stand out there all day, Little Girl?" Tank asked.

I looked up and blushed, feeling as though I'd been caught thinking about my bosses in very intimate positions. I nodded and smiled, trying to look normal, and walked into his office. "Why do you call me Little Girl? And why does Ranger call me Babe?" I asked randomly.

"Most of us use nicknames around here. Ranger's name is Ric, mine is Pierre but I'd better never hear you call me that. Ram is actually Michael. Does it bother you for us to call you by a nickname?" he asked.

"No, I was just curious...Big Guy," I replied with a wink, and Tank laughed.

"I like it. You'll have to see if you can come up with your own nickname for Ric as well; he would love that. Now, you and I have a date at the gun range. Let's go," he commanded. He placed his hand on the small of my back and led me down two flights of stairs to the second floor. Damn these bastards for sneaking the stairs in all the time. I swear just being around them must fry my brain.

We spent what felt like hours with me holding different types of guns to see what fit best in my hand. I found that I liked the feel of a couple of the smaller Glocks, a Sig Sauer, and a Ruger the best. Next, Tank taught me about and lectured endlessly on gun safety and handling. Just when I thought I might get away without actually firing a gun today, he put safety glasses, a ball cap, and hearing protection on me. He stood behind me and set the first gun on the bench in front of me. The hearing protection was electronic, which allowed me to hear voices but blocked out louder sounds. He walked me through loading the magazine and putting it in the gun and then positioned my body for optimal shooting. Was it just me or was it getting really hot in here?

"I'll make adjustments to your stance after you pick up the gun. If I tap your shoulder, I want you to stop shooting and place your weapon down on the bench facing down range immediately. Understood?" Tank asked, and I nodded. "Pick up your weapon."

I reached down and picked up the loaded gun gingerly. I wasn't so sure about this, but Tank and Ranger seemed to think that I could do it. I held the gun up like Tank had shown me, making certain I kept my finger off of the trigger until he gave me the signal, and then waited as he moved me. He pulled my shoulders back and made minor changes to my grip on the gun and then moved his hands to my hips. He moved in close to me and rotated my hips a bit and I thought I might have moaned. Then he slid his knee in between my legs to make my stance wider and I'm certain I made a desperate noise.

"You can fire at will," Tank commanded gently and I nodded.

I let out my breath and aimed for the little paper target down range just like Tank had instructed me. I pulled the trigger until I felt resistance and stilled myself before pulling it all the way. Tank had warned me about the recoil, and it wasn't as bad as I'd expected.

"Good job. I want you to shoot all ten rounds," he instructed and I repeated my earlier actions, feeling a bit more confident every time I pulled the trigger. The slide locked back after the tenth round and I sat the gun down and turned and hugged Tank enthusiastically.

"I did it, Big Guy!" I squealed, and Tank laughed at me as he wrapped his arms around me.

"You did, and you did great, Little Girl. I'm proud of you," Tank praised, and I felt warm and happy at his words. "That's a hell of a grouping for a first-time shooter. Any particular reason you aimed for the crotch?"

I laughed and stepped back. "Just seemed like the place to shoot the little paper man," I joked.

"As long as you don't try to shoot me there," he teased. "Now, load the next gun."

We went through the same exercise with all of the guns that I had liked the feel of, and ultimately I chose the Sig Sauer P320 with the smaller grips. It felt the most natural in my hand and was easy to shoot.

"You'll be expected to carry your weapon anytime you're out of the building once your concealed carry permit comes in. We'll get you outfitted with a holster today, and I want you to start wearing it in the building now to get used to it. If Ric or I see you without it, we'll have to discipline you somehow, likely with more physical training. We take the guys to the mats for discipline but that's not something either of us would want to do to you. Neither of us would be able to bring ourselves to intentionally hurt a woman," Tank explained.

He walked me back over to the cabinet and we locked the other guns up and then went to another cabinet that had holsters and accessories. I picked out a thigh holster and felt pretty badass with my new piece strapped to my leg. Tank added two extra loaded magazines to the holster and then brought my target in.

"Let's sweep up the brass and then we'll go show El Jefe your target." I looked at him funny and he laughed. "That's Spanish for The Boss - that's my personal nickname for Ric."

I nodded and laughed as we both grabbed brooms and swept up all the spent casings. Then I took the target and walked back up the stairs to four. What the hell?! I think they were brainwashing me! Tank took my hand and led me to Ranger's office where he knocked on the door as we entered.

"Got her all outfitted," Tank explained when we stopped in front of Ranger's desk.

Ranger's eyes went straight to the paper target and he smiled. "It looks like you're a natural, Babe. I'm proud of you," he offered, and I melted a little. I was going to have to find a boyfriend, or at least a willing participant in some mutual sexual release, soon if I was going to be around these two all the time.

He sat the target down on his desk and his eyes darkened when he saw the gun strapped to my thigh. "Fuck, Babe. That's the sexiest thing I've seen all day. None of my men will be able to walk if they see you in the office with that thing on, and god help us if you ever wear it with a skirt," he growled, and I'm pretty sure I just ruined my second pair of panties for the day.

"I should be offended that Steph with a holster and weapon is the sexiest thing you've seen all day, but I happen to agree," Tank replied, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"You two are good for my ego," I replied with a blush.

"Good," Ranger replied with a smile. He ran his finger down my cheek tenderly and then leaned over and kissed Tank. Talk about confusing! I had to constantly remind myself that they weren't really interested in me. "Will you let us take you out to celebrate your success on the range? Anywhere you want."

I smiled and did a little happy dance. "Can we go to Pino's? They have the best meatballs subs!"

"Of course. You can drive us in your new company vehicle," Ranger replied as he held out a set of keys.

I squealed and hugged him tightly. "No more Big Blue?" I asked excitedly.

"Not unless you need to use it as a weapon, but I think you've got that covered with your gun now. You can leave it in my office for now and grab it when we get back. Don't think I've forgotten that you owe us a story about the Buick," Ranger teased and I laughed.

"I'm in such a good mood today that I'll tell you in the way to dinner," I replied with a grin.

Ranger knelt down in front of me. "Let me take care of this for you, Babe." He reached out and took his sweet time unstrapping my holster and torturing me by stroking my leg as he removed it.

"Fuck, you two are going to kill me," I groaned. "I need a date!"

Ranger laughed as he stood up and reached for my hand. "You have two dates right here, Babe."

"Yeah, I need one who might actually be interested in me," I whined.

Tank threw his arm around me and led us all out of Ranger's office. "Come on and let us show you what we got for your company vehicle. A little birdy named Lester mentioned you didn't like all the black around here, so we got you something different."

I took off running toward the garage, once again not bothering with the elevator, and stopped dead in my tracks when I got to the parking garage. Sitting there next to Ranger's Cayenne in a parking space with my name on it was a gorgeous navy blue Land Rover.

"You're kidding, right?"I asked in shock. "There's no way I can drive this!"

"We're not kidding, and you can and will drive it, Babe. I can make it an order if needed. Now, do you like it?" He opened the driver door for me and I looked inside, still in shock.

"Like it? No, I don't like it. I love it!" I squealed. "Thank you so much!" I started doing my happy dance again and they both laughed at me.

"You know, Tank kisses me when I do something really nice for him," Ranger joked, and I decided to play along.

"Hmm...well, I don't want you think I'm ungrateful." I put some extra sway in my hips and walked over to Ranger, letting my hand trail down his sculpted chest as I stopped in front of him. If these panties weren't ruined earlier, they certainly were now. "Thank you, Boss Man," I whispered in my flirty bedroom voice. Then I stood up on my tiptoes and placed a chaste kiss on his lips, much to his surprise.

"Hey, I picked out the color!" Tank pouted, and I laughed at his antics.

"Well then, one for you, too, Big Guy. Thank you," I replied with a smile. "But you're going to have to help me here; I can't even reach your lips on my tip toes."

Tank reached down and picked me up, meeting my kiss with a small kiss of his own. "Sometimes it pays to be second; I knew what was going on so I could kiss you, too," he said as he put me down.

"Do I get a redo?" Ranger asked, and I slapped him on the chest.

"You two are insufferable. Get your asses in the car before I go get dinner without you!" I climbed into the driver's seat and melted into the comfortable leather. They got in quickly after me and I took off out of the garage toward Pino's. "This thing is amazing!" I exclaimed as I accelerated down the street.

"Glad you like it, Babe," Ranger reached over and ran his hand down my thigh. "We thought it fit you perfectly."

"Huh?" I asked, completely distracted by his hand.

Ranger removed his hand and set it back in his lap, much to my relief. "Now, I think you owe us a story about the Buick."

"Right, I do," I replied, buying myself time to think about how much to tell them. They'd really opened up to me, allowing me to see them together and telling me about Ranger's daughter, so I guess there was no harm in telling them the story. "I grew up with Joe Morelli, you guys probably know him from working with the Trenton PD."

They both nodded and I continued. "Joe got me to play a game of choo-choo in his garage when I was six. His fingers were the train and I was the tunnel."

I noticed both of them visibly tense and reached over to put my hand on top of Ranger's while I spoke. "Then when I was sixteen and he was eighteen he talked my out of my virginity behind the pastry case as the Tasty Pastry. He was zipping up his pants and walking out the door before I could even say "wham, bam, thank you ma'am" and then had the nerve to write about it all over half the bathroom walls in Trenton before he left for the Navy the next day. I was driving Big Blue when he came home on leave, and before I could even think about it I hopped the curb and hit him. He had a broken leg and I had my revenge," I explained as we pulled in the parking lot at Pino's.

"I'll rip that motherfucker apart limb-by-limb," Tank growled, and I turned in my seat to face him.

"No, you won't. I'm a big girl and I can handle himself. You will trust me to take care of things on my own and let you know if I need help," I said sternly, making certain to make eye contact with them both in order to fully convey how serious I was about this.

"We will respect your wishes, Babe. Right, Gordito?" Ranger more stated than asked.

"Fine," Tank grumbled.

We all got out of the car and I stepped into Tank's arms and hugged him before going in. "Thank you for wanting to protect me, Big Guy," I whispered.

"I can't explain it right now, but I promise I will someday - we both just felt this need to make sure you were safe when we met you," he replied and then leaned down and kissed my forehead. "Now let's eat."

Tank wrapped his arm around me to lead me into the restaurant and I think I almost swooned at feeling him close to me. Damn it! They were definitely getting to me. My poor shower massage was going to be working overtime tonight. Tank steered me to the back booth against the wall and slid in first, pulling me down after him. Then Ranger slid in on my other side.

"Always sit with your back to the wall so you have a clear view of the room and can observe people," Ranger explained and I nodded.

Our waitress came and took our orders, and I couldn't help but turn up my nose at Ranger ordering a salad with the dressing on the side. At least Tank knew how to eat - he ordered a supreme pizza.

"How are you liking things so far, Babe?" Ranger asked after the waitress had brought our drinks.

"I love it, honestly. The exercise and learning to shoot a gun haven't been as bad as I expected. Everyone is so nice and I enjoy being around you guys. I've never been very close to my family, other than my dad and grandma, and I can tell that you guys are one big family. I'm looking forward to being around long enough that I feel like part of that family," I confessed, and Ranger reached over and tugged on a curl.

"You already are, Babe. Most women look at us and either see a piece of meat to take home for the night, a healthy bank account, or a scary thug. You didn't flinch when you met our men, and you treat all of us like we're normal people."

"Of course I do - you _are_ normal people!" I chuckled. "I'm looking forward to feeling like I actually contribute something once I start doing searches and office work. Right now I just feel like I take up your time."

"We don't look at it that way, Little Girl. We look forward to getting to step away from the daily responsibilities and spend time with you in the middle of the day," Tank assured me.

"I look forward to spending time with you, too," I said softly, and both of their faces lit up.

"Want to come up and watch a movie tonight? We'll let you pick," Ranger offered, and I practically squealed.

"I can't turn that down! Do you have Ghostbusters? I can grab it from my apartment if you don't!"

"I don't think you'll find that one in our library, so you'll have to bring yours up," Ranger chuckled.

Our food came at that moment, and I'm certain that I drooled when they sat my meatball sub and fries down in front of me. Of course, that also could have been drool from my dinner company. I reached down and grabbed my sub and stopped just before I bit into it.

"Why are you two staring at me?" I asked when I noticed they were both watching me anxiously.

"We look forward to hearing you enjoy your food. It's sexy as sin," Tank said lowly. Then I felt them each reach over and put a hand on my leg and I let out a low, sultry moan.

"Fuck, Babe. You're probably a little hellcat in the bedroom, aren't you?" Ranger growled. That settled it. I just needed to stop wearing panties if I was going to be around them all the time. I couldn't afford to replace multiple pairs a day.

They both broke out in belly laughs and I looked up sheepishly. "For fuck's sake, I have got to get that under control!" I seemed to speak my thoughts out loud even more around them.

"We go commando; maybe you should try it too," Ranger whispered in my ear, and then he ran his hand up my leg. I swear I had a mini orgasm right there in the seat - their scents, their hot bodies next to me, their hands on my thighs, knowing that they weren't wearing underwear - it was all too much and not nearly enough at the same time.

"We should eat before our food gets cold. Or your salad gets hot," I said weakly, desperate to get their focus off of me long enough to pull myself back together.

I laughed to myself as I watched them both attempt to subtly adjust themselves to take some pressure off of their obvious excitement and bit into my sub happily, making no effort to keep quiet about my appreciation for the delicious sandwich. I took great pride in knowing that I could give as good as I got and a deep sense of personal satisfaction knowing that I could turn them on.

I had just taken a bite when none other than Joe Morelli stopped at our table. "Cupcake? I thought that was you. Your mom told me you were back," he said with his best charming smile. It didn't have its desired effect on me.

"Joe. Good to see you," I said cooly. "I'm sure you know Ranger and Tank."

"Yeah. I didn't realize you knew them?" Joe questioned before sitting down across from me in the booth. Apparently someone's Burg manners were lacking if he thought he was welcome at this table.

"I work for them now and also live in their building. They took me out to celebrate my success on the gun range today. Looks like I don't need the Buick anymore…" I trailed off, and Joe turned white as a ghost and gulped.

"That's uhh...great, Cupcake. So, what would you say about a date for old time's sake? I promise to be on my best behavior," he offered.

"I think - no, I know - that I specifically told you not to call me Cupcake anymore," I said sternly.

Joe turned a repentant look my way and reached across the table for my hand, but both Ranger and Tank were faster. Tank laid his hand over mine and Ranger put his arm around me while giving Joe a warning look. Joe looked at them quizzically and then back at me.

"I apologize, Steph. What do you say, you, me, a game, and a six pack? I'm off tonight."

"Actually, I'm happily spending my night with these two gentlemen," I informed Joe.

"Maybe another time. See you around, Cupcake." Joe winked at me and stood from the booth. He was damn lucky that I was sandwiched between Ranger and Tank or I might have my hands around his neck right now for calling me that name again.

"Can I ask why he calls you Cupcake?" Ranger asked with a puzzled look.

"He claims that I'm soft and sweet and oh so yummy to eat," I groaned with an exaggerated eye roll.

They both stared at me for a long moment and squirmed uncomfortably in their seats. "Jesus Christ, I can't think about that here. I can't hide how hard I am when I walk out," Ranger exclaimed under his breath.

I laughed and finished my last bite. "Let's roll," Tank growled. Tank threw some bills on the table as Ranger stood and helped me up. I couldn't help but giggle on the way to the car as I looked at the guys - they both looked pained and it was extremely obvious that they were both packing from the bulges in their cargos.

We walked up to the Land Rover and Ranger stepped in close behind me when I reached for the door. "You think this is funny, Babe?" he whispered in my ear, close enough that I could feel the warmth of his breath as he spoke. "I can guarantee that Tank is in the same state. You have no idea what you do to me." I moaned and climbed into the car before I embarrassed myself in public.

I'm pretty sure I broke every single traffic law on my way back to Haywood. My mind was filled with thoughts of Tank and I pleasuring Ranger and I was desperate for some alone time before I went up to seven for the movie. We were all out of the car as soon as I put it into park and the sexual tension in the air was palpable. What the fuck? They were gay; I wasn't supposed to have this effect on them.

"We'll see you upstairs in forty-five minutes, Babe," Ranger ordered. He and Tank took off up the stairs and I followed closely behind them, splitting off at the fourth floor while they continued up. I was too worked up to stand still in the elevator. I slammed my door shut behind me and locked the deadbolt. I was too far gone for the shower massager right now. My latest Pleasure Treasures purchase would do quite nicely.


	9. Chapter 9

Ric's POV

Tank and I ran all the way up the stairs and into the penthouse. We were both quite worked up and fell into bed frantic for each other. I knew there was no way in hell that I could make it through movie night with Steph otherwise.

We jumped in the shower together after we achieved our mutual releases in order to wash off and cool down. "How do you think tonight went so far?" Tank asked.

"I think she seems receptive to our flirting, although she probably doesn't realize we're being serious. The cop could be a complication. I think we should be a bit more forward - nothing to scare her off, just try to get closer and see how she reacts. I think it would be good to see how she responds to you and I being more affectionate toward each other while we're home. Let's turn up the pressure a bit and see how she responds."

Tank nodded and shut off the water. We both grabbed towels and soon were standing in our closet. He and I both slid on some shorts and I stopped him when he reached for a shirt. "No shirts. I have a feeling she'll like it," I plotted. Tank grabbed beers and we both sat down on the couch to wait.

Steph knocked a few minutes later and I chuckled when her jaw dropped at the sight of our bare chests. "Did you forget your shirts when you got dressed?" she stammered.

I reached over and gently closed her mouth. "You'll catch flies like that, Babe," I chuckled.

"And you might catch a cold without your shirt," she shot back.

"It's a little stuffy in here; I don't want to wear a shirt right now," I explained.

Her eyes darkened and she gave me a calculating look. "You know, you're right - it is hot in here. I think I'll take my t-shirt off, too." She reached down and pulled off her shirt, leaving her in just shorts and a tight tank top that left nothing to the imagination. I stared at her agape and she walked seductively over to where I was standing. "Wouldn't want you to catch a fly either," she smirked. She reached up and closed my mouth and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Well played, Steph. Come on, let's watch your movie, you little vixen."

I took her hand and led her over to the living room where I put in the DVD she'd brought with her. She continued to walk over toward a chair when I sat down, but Tank quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her down between us.

"I didn't want to get in between you two," she explained with a sheepish smile. "I thought you might want to be next to each other."

"You're right where we want you to be," I reassured her. Tank hit the play button on the remote while I slid my arm over Steph and rested my hand on Tank's shoulder. She looked up at me questioningly and I just smiled and turned my attention back to the television. She relaxed a few minutes later as the opening credits finished and Tank and I shared a gratified smile.

I noticed Tank tense under my hand and looked over to see him rolling his shoulder and wincing. "You okay, Gordito?" I asked. Steph's eyes instantly began looking at him assessingly as well.

"Yeah, just a little sore from that old shoulder injury," Tank answered quietly.

"Come on, Big Guy. You guys had your hands all over me yesterday; it's my turn tonight. Get comfortable and I'll work on your shoulder," Steph demanded in a tone that left no room for argument.

Tank sat down on the floor in front of Steph and she instantly went to work kneading and massaging his shoulders. She was so tiny compared to him that I didn't think she'd be able to help, but he instantly started moaning at her touch and I could see the tension melting away after only a few minutes.

"Shit, Little Girl. You're damn good at this," Tank groaned.

"Should I be worried that she's going to put me out of a job?" I teased.

"Nah, I'll take you both at the same time," Tank joked, and the temperature in the room ratcheted up a couple of notches when Steph moaned in response. Her eyes glazed over and she froze for a moment with a far away look on her face, and I barely contained my smug laugh.

I moved my hands down to join hers in massaging Tank and leaned in close to her ear. "You sound like you love that idea, Babe," I whispered.

"I'd have to be a nun to not be intrigued by that thought. I mean, have you seen you two?" she finally answered. "You're both trying to torture me by not wearing shirts tonight! My Hungarian hormones are raging!"

"We could go put shirts on if you'd prefer," I offered sincerely. I didn't want to frustrate her too much - we just wanted to get her used to the idea of us.

"To hell with my hormones - I'm enjoying the gorgeous scenery too much for you to put on shirts." She slapped her hand over her mouth and looked up at me sheepishly. "I'm sorry - you're my bosses. Was that inappropriate?"

I quickly wrapped my arm around her and pulled her into my side as Tank turned and took her hands.

"We don't want you thinking of us as bosses when we're off the clock, Steph. And no, it wasn't inappropriate at all. Hell, I'm thrilled that you love the scenery," he teased, and she blushed and buried her head in my chest.

"Seriously, do you know anyone like you two who's single? Life is so unfair - it would figure that you're both gay and together," she huffed.

"Why does it just figure, Babe?" I prodded. I wanted to hear her say it.

"Because you're both great guys - gorgeous, badass, funny, easy to be around. We just met but I already feel like I've known you forever. I'd kill to find someone like either of you," she confessed.

I leaned in and kissed her cheek. "Tell you what - you keep hanging out with us and I promise we'll find you someone who meets your standards. Just stay away from the cop. Deal?" I offered.

"Hell yes!" She exclaimed, and we both laughed at her enthusiasm. "But I get final veto over anyone you pick."

"Of course, Little Girl. Wouldn't have it any other way," Tank assured her.

Her stomach growled at that moment and I walked to the kitchen to pop some popcorn and grab bottles of water. When I returned to the living room Steph had excused herself to the restroom. I settled in with my back to the arm of the couch and my legs outstretched and Tank quickly positioned himself with his back to my chest. I took advantage of the quiet moment and began kissing down his neck and behind his ear as I wrapped my arms around him.

I pride myself on always being aware of my surroundings, but apparently I wasn't as alert as usual tonight because Steph managed to sneak up on us. I didn't notice her until I heard a needy whine coming from close by. I removed my lips from Tank's neck and looked up to see her eyes dilated and her chest rising and falling rapidly. We sure as hell turned her on.

"Sorry, Babe. I didn't hear you come back in," I explained trying to look repentant. I wasn't. I was celebrating our success in seeing how she would react to us being more physical.

"Don't apologize; I just enjoy seeing how much you two care for each other. It's nice," she responded quietly.

"Come on, let's finish the movie," Tank encouraged her. He pulled her down between his legs and then placed the popcorn bowl in her lap. He knew I wouldn't eat any.

Steph relaxed against Tank and my heart warmed at how comfortable she was with us already. It had been the same way with Alyssa; it just fit instantly. The bowl of popcorn was finished quickly and then Tank pulled the throw off of the back of the couch and laid it over Steph. In the dark of the room and under the cover of the blanket, hands began to wander - nothing too personal - and I got a small glimpse of what we both wanted. I laced my fingers through Tank's and wrapped our joined arms around Steph. She sighed contently and began running her fingers over our arms lightly and then moved her hands to run up and down our legs. It was obvious that she wasn't even aware of what she was doing; it just came naturally to her. We both took advantage of her relaxed state and enjoyed light touches to her shoulders, arms, and legs, and she melted into Tank while we showered her with physical affection. I could picture many nights like this in our future. Hopefully with fewer clothes. And a whole different kind of touching.


	10. Chapter 10

Steph's POV

I woke up Friday morning shocked that I was having an orgasm in my sleep. I had been dreaming of a different ending for last night - one where I didn't walk back to my apartment alone and fall into my own bed. No, in my dream the innocent touching on the couch had escalated until I was naked and laid out for Ranger and Tank to feast on. They had driven me to the brink with their lips and tongues all over my body and then made me explode with unimaginable pleasure. Before my breathing had even returned to normal, Tank had plunged into me and made me writhe with pleasure while Ranger made love to him. Holy hell. If just dreaming of that could make me cum I didn't know what reality would do to me. Too damn bad I would never find out.

My shower massager got the morning off because I'd just had the mother of all orgasms, so I washed myself quickly and dressed for the gym. I walked in and was surprised to see that Tank and Ranger weren't there.

"Good morning, Beautiful," Les greeted me. "Tank and Ranger got called out to a client that's having problems with their security system this morning. You get to work out with me instead."

"Morning, Les. I can just hop on the treadmill by myself if you'd prefer," I offered. I didn't want to be an inconvenience.

"No way, I've been looking forward to getting you all to myself. Now, I hear you don't particularly enjoy the treadmill. You want to run outside today?"

I nodded and before I knew it Les and I were running in a nearby park. Les and I had bonded over packing and moving and I felt like he was one of my closest friends already.

"My cousin and Tank aren't hogging you too much, are they? You're always welcome to escape to the club with me, or come over to watch a ball game."

I shook my head and continued breathing like my guys had taught me. Wait a minute - my guys? Where the hell did that come from?! I'd have to think on that later when I wasn't concentrating on carrying on a conversation while trying not to die from being so out of shape.

"No, nothing like that. I'm really enjoying hanging out with them. They've both already become great friends. I just hope I'm not an inconvenience to them; surely they want some time alone," I answered.

"Nah, they love having you around, Beautiful. You seem to mellow them both out some. Trust me, they'd let you know if you were intruding," Les assured me. "So tell me, who's the special guy in your life?"

I gave Les a confused look and then laughed. "I guess that would be my dad and you guys - I haven't really dated much since my divorce. Ranger promised if I kept hanging around they'd help me find someone, but that kind of seems like a catch 22."

"Why's that?" he prompted.

"Well, Ranger and Tank are both such great guys, and the more I hang out with them the more I realize that I want someone just like them. Hell, I even want something just like what they have. I think their relationship is great - they obviously love each other and share their lives really well. They're affectionate and playful together. It's just…" I trailed off.

"What they have is definitely great," Les agreed. "I'm sure you'll find just what you're looking for. Hell, I'd volunteer for the job, but I'm nowhere near ready to slow down. A long-term commitment for me is two nights."

Les and I both laughed and continued our run with more conversation. I followed him as he walked down some roads I'd never been down before for our cool down and my jaw dropped when we stopped.

"Seriously?" I squealed happily. We were standing in front of a small donut shop. "What about the temple?"

"That's Ranger. I enjoy good food, strong liquor, and wild women. Come on, Beautiful."

Les led me into the donut shop and treated me to two Boston cremes and a large coffee with lots of cream and sugar. We sat and ate our donuts with me moaning happily through every single bite.

"Shit, Steph! You moaning like that might make me reconsider my earlier statement," he teased, and I blushed.

"I can't help it! These are my favorite," I protested.

"Don't stop. I'm just imagining some very naughty things while you make those noises," he leered and waggled his eyebrows at me.

"Oh, Les. Mmm...yes, baby. That's just how I like it," I teased in my best sexy voice, and I laughed at the pained look on his face.

"You are pure evil, woman, and I love it! You'd better watch out, though. I'd hate to have to bend you over my knee because you're so naughty," he teased.

"Bullshit. You'd love every second of it," I deadpanned, and he broke down into laughs.

"Every second until my cousin called me to the mats for it. I think if anyone takes you over their knee it will be him or Tank, Beautiful."

I looked at him funny and pulled a face. "A girl can only dream. Anyway, what's up with all the nicknames? You guys already dubbed me Babe, Little Girl, and Beautiful. What gives?"

"Well, I think mine and Tank's nicknames for you should be obvious. You're beautiful, and you are little compared to him. As for Ric, he doesn't usually give women pet names so enjoy it. Does it bother you?" He asked.

"No, it's different, but I like it," I assured him. "I call Tank "Big Guy", but I need to come up with a good nickname for Ranger."

"I have the perfect suggestion - call him Papi."

I scrunched up my nose and looked at him. "Papi? As in Daddy?" I asked confused.

"Literally, yes, but it's a term of endearment for a close male friend in Spanish. Or if you use it during sex it means he's doing a damn fine job," he teased.

I blushed and shook my head. "I don't think Tank would like it much if I used it in that setting!"

Les raised one eyebrow and winked at me. "You never know, Beautiful."


	11. Chapter 11

Bobby's POV

"Hey there, Steph. You ready to do this?" I asked when she walked into the medical suite. She didn't look amused to be here with me.

"If we must," she pouted, and I stifled a laugh.

"I don't think we've spent enough time together for you not to like me yet," I teased, and she finally cracked a small smile.

"It's not that at all. I just hate anything involving diets, doctors, or hospitals," she replied with one of her signature eye rolls.

"Well, we'll see if we can make the diet something that you won't completely hate long-term. As for doctors and hospitals, I don't see either of those here. I'm actually a Physician's Assistant, and I try to treat anything that I possibly can outside of the hospital. I like taking care of my crew. Now, we're just going to do both a medical history and physical exam and then we'll talk about nutrition. Sound good?" I asked.

"Yeah, that's fine. I just…uhh…I can still see my lady doctor for the really personal stuff, right?" she asked as she fidgeted in her chair. She was cute, and badasses don't use that word. If I didn't know for certain that Ric and Tank had their eyes on her I'd ask her out in a heartbeat.

"Of course. Let's start there. When was your last well woman exam?"

"Just two months ago, and everything checked out good, no issues," she answered quickly.

"Good. Do you use birth control?" She snorted out loud at that question and I almost laughed with her.

"I haven't had a need to in so long it's ridiculous, but I should probably think about it. I didn't have medical insurance, and since I wasn't having sex I didn't see any reason. I can make another appointment with my doctor," she offered.

"No need. I can actually help you with that; I take care of it for a couple of the guys' wives or long-term girlfriends. Are you interested in the pill or would you prefer something like the shot so you don't have to think about it every day?"

She wrinkled her nose and thought for a moment. "I think I'd like the shot. I'm not exactly big on routine, so remembering to take a pill at the same time every day isn't the best plan for me. And I don't see myself wanting kids anytime soon – hell, I'm not convinced I'll ever want them – but I don't want anything too permanent just in case."

"We can start that today since your last exam was so recent. Let's talk about general health. Any issues that I need to know about?"

"Other than the bad habit of saying what I'm thinking without realizing it?" she joked. "No, no health issues, and no medications."

"Alright, that's good. I'll do your exam in a few minutes, but first let's discuss your wishes. I already know that you don't like hospitals, so I'm guessing that for any minor problems or issues that I can treat your preference would be to take care of it here? I can do some things like put in stitches, check wounds, and monitor you here without taking you in," I explained.

"Yes, absolutely," she replied emphatically.

"Alright, I also see that you completed your DNR and medical POA forms already. Do you have any questions about me being your medical POA? It's really just a precaution in case you're injured so that we can ensure that you get the care that's needed and make decisions in your best interest if you're unable to do so."

"No," she shook her head, "I would actually prefer that to my mother."

"Okay, let's just take a look at you then."

I took my time listening to Steph's heart and lungs as well as checking mobility and giving a thorough exam. She was a much better patient than the guys; it seemed that the bigger they were the harder they were to treat.

"Everything looks great," I said when I was finished. "Now for your diet. I understand that you have different dietary needs than we do, but I would really like to get you off of sugar and processed foods for thirty days in order to let your body detox. Then we can slowly add some back in while ensuring that your diet remains healthy and balanced."

"You want to do what?!" she screeched.

Ranger's POV

I dropped my pen and rolled my neck when a knock sounded at my door. I'd been working on month-end paperwork and reports for what seemed like hours now, but a quick look at the clock indicated it hadn't actually been nearly that long.

"Enter!" I barked out. Les poked his head in my office and gave me a hard look as he shut the door and took a seat across from me.

"You know you hate dealing with bullshit paperwork. Why don't you just hire someone to do it? Better yet – ask Steph to help with it. From what I've observed, she has a good head on her shoulders and is very capable. I noticed when we were packing her old apartment up that she has her business degree from Rutgers. I'm sure she would love to help. In fact, I know for certain that she's itching to feel like she's contributing something," Les lectured.

"I hate to throw anyone in the middle of this mess," I groaned. If I'd spent more time around Stephanie, I'm pretty sure I would have rolled my eyes, too.

"You're not making any progress on your own. Just ask her if she'd like to learn that side of the job and see what she says," he encouraged me. "I think you'll be pleasantly surprised."

He was probably right. "I'll run it by her and if she's willing I'll have her help me. Did she do okay in the gym this morning?" I actually hadn't seen her at all today, which was unusual. She'd been in the gym with Les first thing this morning and Tank and I hadn't returned to the building until after the morning meeting. She'd been with Bobby for a while now, but was due on the control room floor after lunch.

"Yeah, she did great. We ran outside and then came back for her toning and strength training. I'd like for Hector and I to take over her self-defense, if that's okay with you. She's never going to be as tall or muscular as all of us, so she needs to learn to use her size and speed instead of relying on pure strength."

I looked at Les calculatingly and nodded. "You're right, which makes Tank and I both poor choices to train her. I would like for her to be able to spar with us eventually, though. She needs to know how to defend herself against someone his size." Tank was taller than me at 6'-6" and was a solid wall of muscle. I came in at 5'-11" and wasn't as bulked up as Tank. He earned his nickname with his size.

"Glad you recognize it, Primo. You really like her, don't you?" Les pried. If it was any of my other men, I'd shut them down right away, but Les knew me better than almost anyone and I knew he only had my best interest in mind.

"I do. I can't explain it – it's like I knew the moment she sat down across from Tank and me at that diner that she was what he and I are missing. Hell, I feel her presence before I see her. You know I love Tank and I am committed to him, but we both feel like there's something missing from our relationship. We've been getting to know her and flirting with her and she seems to be responding well. I just hope she's open to something with us." Jesus Christ, I sounded like a teenage girl. This would do serious damage to my reputation if it got out.

"You don't have anything to worry about there," Les replied with a smirk.

"What do you know?" I pressed.

"She told me this morning that the more time she spends with you two jokers, the more she wants someone just like you and that she wants a relationship like yours, too. Can't get much clearer without her saying that she wants you two lucky bastards."

"Thanks, Santos. Now, get out of here!" I barked. I think we were both in danger of losing our man cards if this conversation continued.


	12. Chapter 12

Steph's POV

I felt a tingle on my neck just before I heard his voice. "How's it going, Babe?" Ranger asked as he leaned against the wall of my cube with his arms crossed over his chest. It was quite a nice picture.

"It's going," I replied with one of my signature eye rolls and a huff.

"What's that for?" he asked.

"Your…your…Bobby! He wants me to cut out all sugar and processed foods for thirty days in order to detox, or at least that's what he claims. He probably just wants to kill me!" I ranted.

Ranger chuckled and reached out to tuck a curl behind my ear. I had to stop myself from moaning at his touch.

"It's just thirty days, Steph. You can do it," he tried hopefully.

"Thirty days without sugar and without a man in my life? That's impossible! You have no idea what my Hungarian hormones are like without sugar!" He raised an eyebrow and looked amused, but I kept right on going. "I cannot possibly be expected to live and work with all of these good-looking men everywhere and no sugar! I swear, drop-dead gorgeous and killer smiles must be a requirement to work here!"

"Well, I did hire you, Babe," he replied smoothly, but I just glared at him.

"Nice try, Papi, but I'm not buying it!" I groaned.

Ranger's eyes shot up to meet mine and I swear the edges of his lips curled up a bit. "What did you just call me?" he asked, his voice deep and thick. Damn, another pair of panties bites the dust.

"I told you, quit wearing them and you won't have that problem, but you're not changing the subject. Answer my question," he pressed, and I sighed and blew my hair out of my eyes.

"I called you Papi. Les and I were talking this morning and I decided that I needed a nickname for you. He suggested that and I thought it kind of fits. I mean, I don't know. You're tall and perfectly chiseled with gorgeous mocha latte skin, deep brown eyes, and gorgeous hair. It just seems to fit you," I explained sheepishly. "I can choose something else if you'd prefer, or I can just call you Ranger like everyone else." I really didn't want to make him angry.

"No, absolutely not. The only thing better than hearing you call me that here in the office would be hearing you call me that in a much more…personal setting," he replied with a full 100 watt smile. Is it just me or is it extremely hot in here?!

"Now, as much as I'm enjoying this conversation, I actually did have a reason for coming to see you. Actually, I had two. First, Tank's birthday is Sunday and we're going to my parents' house tomorrow night at their insistence to celebrate. A couple of the guys that we're close to here are coming as well, and Tank and I wanted to know if you would also come with us."

"Oh! Umm…of course. I mean, if you're sure that I won't be too much of a pain tagging along. I don't want to intrude," I offered.

"You won't be. We both want you there, and I know my family will love you. So you'll come?" he asked hopefully.

"Yeah," I nodded. "Too bad it's not this easy meeting a straight man's family," I joked, and he chuckled along with me.

"I'm glad you'll come. Now, for the second reason I came by. I'm drowning in paperwork and I was hoping you might be open to learning that side of the business and helping me. What do you say?"

"I say that there's very little that I wouldn't do for you, so lead the way," I replied with a smile. I had been dying to feel like I was contributing around here, and this was just the way to do it.

I spent the next couple of hours in Ranger's office listening to him explain the paperwork and what needed to be done and then he left me to work in his office while he went into the conference room for a client meeting. A lot of the things I was working with were confidential or involved personal information or pay rates for employees, so he didn't want it sitting in my cube where anyone could see it.

I dug in and organized things into manageable stacks, sorted them in order of priority and then started working on them one-by-one. I didn't look up again until a bottle of water appeared in front of me.

"Oh, hey. Thanks," I said softly when I met Tank's eyes.

"No problem, Little Girl. Ric got tied up for a few more minutes, but I wanted to check on you since we're finished with the client. How's it going?"

I opened the water and took a big drink. I didn't realize how thirsty I was. "It's going well. I'm down to the last stack of papers that need to be taken care of."

"The boss is going to be very happy with you. He hates paperwork. Hell, I do, too," Tank chuckled.

"He's right, I do hate it," Ranger chimed in when he walked in the door. "Now, what am I going to be very happy about?"

"Steph has finished up everything but the small stack in front of her," Tank said proudly.

"That's great, Babe. Thank you so much. Did you hate it?" Ranger asked.

"No, it was nice to put my degree to work again. Thanks for giving me something to do. I'll just get out of your way now." I straightened the stack that I was working on and went to stand up, but Ranger put a strong hand on my shoulder and stopped me.

"You're not in my way, so if you wouldn't mind staying and finishing it that would be great. Tank and I will just sit on the couch and go over some issues."

"Sure," I replied gratefully. I really didn't want to stop before I'd finished it all.

I worked for another hour while Ranger and Tank discussed everything from outstanding skips to the work schedule to potential new employees.

"You ready to get out of here, Babe?" Ranger asked just as I finished the last of the work. "We're meeting Bobby and Les as Shorty's. Come with us?"

I looked up into their hopeful faces and smiled. "Of course."


	13. Chapter 13

Steph's POV

Saturday gave me the glorious opportunity to sleep in. Well, I slept until 9:00. Old Steph would have thought that was way too early. She would have been right. Unfortunately, the guys had ruined me already. Still, 9:00 felt way better than 5:30.

I stretched languorously in my incredibly comfy new bed and then pampered myself in the shower until I was pruny. I couldn't possibly be expected to wear something cute and flirty tonight for Tank's birthday party without shaving, buffing, and exfoliating until I was all smooth and soft.

Breakfast was a leftover piece of pizza from Shorty's last night while I lazed around the living room. I glanced over next to the front door and laughed out loud again. Ranger had left me a gift the previous night - a basket full of black bikini cut panties with the RangeMan logo embroidered on them. Smartass. I have to admit I felt sexy wearing his name on the Promised Land, though.

I left the building a bit later and got into my new Land Rover and drove to Mary Lou's to pick her up for a day of shopping and fun.

"Oh my goodness, Steph! This car is gorgeous! Where did you get it?" Mary Lou demanded the moment she got in.

"From my even more gorgeous boss," I replied with a huge smile.

"Are you sleeping with him?" she squealed.

"I wish!"

I put the car in gear and drove toward Quaker Bridge Mall while I filled her in.

"I blackmailed Vinnie into giving me a job, and when I met the guy who was going to help me get started he and his partner made me a better offer. I work for RangeMan now, and this is a company vehicle. I was also able to move into a gorgeous one-bedroom apartment. It's the best thing that's ever happened to me!" I exclaimed. "I live in a building full of gorgeous men!"

"Girl, you are so lucky! I love Lenny, but I never mind appreciating some beautiful men," she joked. "So spill, are you dating him?"

"No, no chance of that. Between you and me, he's gay. His business partner is also his long-time life partner. But let me tell you - I've been spending a ton of time with them off the clock and I'd love to have the opportunity."

"With which one?" she asked.

"Both?" I replied sheepishly. "I've never been a kinky girl, but there's something about being around those two that makes me want to jump between them!"

"God, you're giving me hot flashes! Describe them for me!"

I smiled and took a deep breath. "Ranger is just under six feet of Cuban sex appeal, has gorgeous mocha latte skin, and silky black hair. He's most definitely an alpha male and his body is all sculpted muscles. The man is the definition of sexy. The only thing sexier than him is him with Tank. Tank is six and a half feet tall with chocolate brown eyes and the most beautiful ebony skin you've ever seen. He shaves his head bald and has muscles on his muscles," I replied, almost moaning as I thought about them.

"I have to meet them someday," ML swooned.

We pulled up to the mall at that point, and the RangeMan parking karma must have mercifully been on my side since I was in a company vehicle. I parked near the doors and ML and I continued to dish and catch up over lunch in the food court.

"So what are we shopping for today?" she asked as we were throwing away our trash.

"Well, I need a cute, flirty, but tasteful dress for tonight. Apparently there will be some dancing, and Ranger and Tank have already mostly claimed my dance card. Then I also need to get a gift for Tank," I answered.

"I know the perfect store! Come on!"

Mary Lou drug me to a novelty store I'd never been in before and we laughed our way through irreverent shirts, sex toys, body jewelry, and retro collectibles. We finally came to the back corner that was dedicated to unique items related to the military.

"This!" ML squealed, and I immediately turned red and started laughing so hard I was crying. It was a black t-shirt that had the outline of a bullet on it and said "Just the tip. I promise."

"I can't give that to him in front of Ranger's family!" I insisted.

"So give it to him privately and get him something else small to give him at the party," ML suggested.

"Perfect," I agreed.

We continued to look around and I held up a white coffee mug for Mary Lou to see.

"Tank - noun. One - A party or raid member that protects others from damage with his face or shield. Two - A plate or leather wearing demi-god that stops the simple mortals from dying. Three - The only thing between you and death right now," she read aloud from the mug. "If your description of him is anywhere near correct then yes, you have to get that!"

I paid for my purchases compliments of my very generous first steady paycheck and signing bonus and then we walked to Macy's to find the perfect dress for tonight.

"What are you thinking?" Mary Lou asked when we arrived in the ladies department.

"Ranger said it's pretty much a backyard barbecue but with Cuban food, and after dinner there will be music and dancing along with drinks," I explained. "Maybe something with a flowy skirt? And definitely not black - that's all we wear at work!"

We went to work flipping through the racks until we had several possibilities and finally settled on a dress that was the teal of the ocean. It had a low v-neck that was still tasteful and was backless. The skirt was a beautiful chiffon with lots of movement.

"Girl, you may make them turn straight tonight in that dress!" Mart Lou exclaimed when she saw the dress.

"If only!" I chuckled. A trip to Victoria's Secret for a black lace thong finished off the outfit. It's just too damn bad no one would properly appreciate that detail. Hmm...I wonder if Ranger has a single brother?


	14. Chapter 14

I heard the knock at my apartment door and took one last look in the mirror. I think I'd nailed the look that I was going for. My hair was down and cooperating for once by falling in soft waves. I'd opted for shimmery nudes for my makeup and my eyes popped and looked the same color as my dress. Hopefully the guys would like my look because I felt fabulous. I walked quickly to the door and opened it.

"Hey, guys. Let me just grab my purse and I'll be ready to leave," I informed them.

Tank reached out and gently grasped my arm to stop me. "Turn around," he commanded softly, and I instantly gave a little spin, causing the skirt of my dress to float out around me. "You look stunning, Little Girl. So stunning, in fact, that your regular nickname doesn't seem to do you justice. I think I'll call you Mami since you look so amazing." He wiggled his eyebrows at me and I blushed.

"It does go with my new nickname from you, Babe," Ranger teased. "But seriously, Tank's right – you look incredible. You're easily the most beautiful woman I've seen in my entire life," Ranger added, and I think I melted right then and there.

"Thank you, both of you. You look amazing, too. You should wear something other than black more often; you both look even more gorgeous in colors. Of course, I guess when you've already met your forever you don't really have to worry about impressing someone else, huh?" I replied sheepishly. Tank was wearing charcoal grey dress pants and a deep blue dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms, and Ranger was immaculately dressed in black dress pants and a cranberry dress shirt. They looked so good that I bet they could sell menswear to single women anywhere.

I turned and grabbed my purse and returned to the door where they both instantly reached for one of my hands and escorted me to the elevator.

"What, you're not going to insist on the stairs?" I teased.

"You wear heels that make your legs look that amazing every day and I'll never make you take the stairs, Mami," Tank replied with a wink. Be still my heart.

"Hell, I'll lock you in the penthouse. There's no way I want all these hornballs around here drooling over your legs without me around to fend them off," Ranger growled, and I wasn't sure whether or not he was joking. Probably he was. He had to be. He wasn't interested in me; he had Tank.

We exited the garage in the elevator and Ranger helped me into his Cayenne. After he and Tank were situated in the front seat we pulled out of the garage.

"Where are the rest of the guys?" I asked. I knew that we weren't the only ones coming from RangeMan.

"Les, Bobby, and Ram will leave here shortly; they got tied up with some RangeMan business," Ranger replied, and I saw Tank roll his eyes.

"I could have come with them so you two could spend time with your parents," I replied quickly. "I don't want to intrude."

"You're not intruding at all, Babe. My parents have already heard so much about you this week and are dying to meet you."

Sheesh, no pressure, right? At least they wouldn't grill me like a potential girlfriend or wife. Thank God for small favors.

Just as we were pulling out of the garage my cell phone rang and I sighed when I saw the caller ID. My mother.

"Hello, Mom," I answered warily. These conversations always went the same way.

"Stephanie Michelle Plum, why did I have to hear from Myra that you moved out of your apartment? And where are you living now?" my mother started in.

"Nice to hear from you too, Mom. I was going to call you tomorrow; it all happened very quickly and this week has been a blur. I took a job with a security business and they offer employee housing. I moved into an apartment there," I explained.

"I've never heard of such a place in the Burg," she wondered aloud.

"That's because it's not," I replied softly.

"That's simply not acceptable! We just got you back here where you belong. You can move in here if you need to," she tried.

"No, Mom. I'm very happy living there. It's a great opportunity for me," I insisted.

"Then at least let me set you up with a nice man from the Burg. Angie Morelli mentioned that Joseph asked you out. You'll be here tomorrow for dinner and I'll invite him as well," my mom plotted.

"I don't want to be set up with anyone, Mom! Especially not Joe Morelli!"

"Unless you're suddenly seeing someone as well then I won't take no for an answer," she demanded.

"Mom, no. I'm not seeing anyone but that doesn't mean I need you to find me a potential husband," I groaned.

I must not have been paying attention to the guys in the front seat because suddenly Tank's large hand swooped in and covered my phone.

"Tell her you'll be bringing two men with you to dinner," he cut in.

"Are you sure? They're a pill, and she'll be trying to get one of you to marry me before dessert is served."

"You're worth it, Mami," Tank replied with a wink.

I put the phone back up to my ear. "Fine, Mom. I'll be there tomorrow night but I'll be bringing two friends with me - two male friends. Do _not_ invite Joe."

I sighed as we said goodbye and hung up and then sat back in my seat.

The guys finally seemed to go into their driving zone after the phone call and I contented myself by watching the scenery that passed by. We arrived at a sprawling colonial home far too soon for my taste. What can I say? I was really nervous.

Tank got out and opened my door as Ranger came around the Cayenne toward both of us. "Let's go show you off and introduce you to everyone, Mami," Tank said as he helped me out.

He offered his arm to me after I'd gotten out of the SUV and led me to the front door after I'd tucked my hand into the crook of his arm. Ranger opened the front door for us and helped us both into the beautiful open entryway.

"Mama, we're here!" Ranger announced as we walked in. He then turned to me. "I learned a long time ago to announce my presence in order to avoid seeing just how in love my parents still are after forty years," he explained quietly.

"In the living room, hijos!" came a beautifully accented voice in response.

Ranger and Tank led me into the living room where we were immediately welcomed with loud greetings from more people than I'd ever seen at a family gathering at my house.

"Happy birthday, Son," a handsome older man who looked just like Ranger greeted Tank. "Who is this beautiful young woman that you two have brought with you?" he asked as he turned his gaze toward me.

"Thank you, Ricardo. You really didn't need to go all out for my birthday," Tank answered, and I swear I saw him blush. "This lovely lady is Stephanie Plum. She joined us at RangeMan and has also become a personal friend of ours."

"It's wonderful to meet you, Estephania. I have heard so much about you from these two. I'm Ric's father, Ricardo," he said warmly as he reached out to hug me. I returned his embrace and instantly felt at ease with Ranger's family. Soon I had met his mother, Maria, and his sisters, Celia and Mariella along with his Abuela Rosa and countless other people.

The party moved into the backyard where we enjoyed margaritas, beers, and delicious Cuban food and soon there was music and dancing all around.

"What do you say, Beautiful?" Les asked me when the music started. "Can I twirl you around the dance floor?"

I nodded and we were soon dancing to Latin music. Les kept me laughing as we moved our hips and bodies in unison. I could definitely see how he could turn on the charm. I was getting into a second song when Ranger appeared beside us.

"May I cut in?" he asked Les.

"Only if it's okay with the lady," Les answered with a wink in my direction.

"Of course," I replied.

Ranger moved in much closer to me and began leading me in a samba as the music continued. The whole experience was overwhelming - his smell, his arms around me, the movement of his hips. God, Tank was a lucky man.

I was passed around to Tank, Ricardo, Ram, Bobby, and several other people I don't remember until Ranger's parents finally said goodnight and took their leave along with the grandkids. Then the party really started. The music got louder, the alcohol flowed more freely, and the dancing got even sexier. I was sipping another margarita while I took a breather when Tank and Ranger both approached me. Ranger walked around behind me and placed his hands on my hips.

"Think you can handle both of us at once, Babe?" he asked lowly in my ear, and my knees instantly became weak. Still, I was never one to back down from a challenge.

"Bring it on, Ranger," I replied with a laugh.

His grip on my hips tightened and he leaned in even closer. "Unless we're in the office, you should call me Ric. Or Papi," he growled. Holy hot flash. This thong was definitely ruined.

I gulped but decided not to let him see how much he was affecting me. "Let's go, Papi," I teased.

Ric stepped in closer behind me and began swaying his hips as he led me to follow him. Soon Tank was in front of me, his hands joining Ric's grip on me and his hips moving deliciously. They both continued to drift further into my space as we danced and I shivered at the feel of their bodies. My core was aching and my body was humming with need. Ric brought my arms up around his neck and ran his hands down my sides and I'm certain I moaned. Loudly. Then Tank slipped his leg between mine and my eyes rolled back in my head at the feel of a part of him so close to the Promised Land.

"You look so damn sexy, Babe," Ric growled in my ear. "Doesn't she, Gordito?"

Tank took one step closer and I could feel the heat of his leg on the dampness of my thong. "She's absolutely fucking perfect. So sexy, so beautiful," Tank murmured.

His leg moved just a bit and I felt the much-needed friction that I was aching for. My eyes got wide and Tank smirked at me.

"Just let go and enjoy it, Mami. This is my birthday wish," he whispered in my ear. Who was I to deny his birthday wish?

He adjusted his leg once more and I know I would have collapsed if they weren't holding me up. My eyes flitted around the yard, but no one was paying any attention to us - they were all dancing similarly. I closed my eyes and moaned as Ric pressed his hips to mine. Holy shit, the man had to be incredibly well endowed. I could feel every inch of his enthusiasm against my ass. I tensed for a moment but finally lost myself as I let them lead me in this erotic dance for three. It's a good thing that the music was loud because I couldn't control my moaning and whimpering if I tried at this point. I was worked into quite a frenzy and getting desperate for release. They must have noticed because Ric bent down and whispered in my ear.

"Are you enjoying this, Babe?" he whispered. I couldn't speak so I simply nodded as I moaned once again, feeling them both hard against me and Tank's knee rubbing right where I most needed it. "Let's give Tank something to remember. Cum for us," he commanded. My mind said these were my bosses, but my body was too far gone. I stiffened momentarily and then felt the waves of pleasure rolling over me. It seemed to last forever, and when I finally came down from my high I opened my eyes to see Tank watching me with dark chocolate eyes.

"That was fucking hot," he growled. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," I replied shakily. "Just need a drink. And probably to sit down. The alcohol's getting to me. I can't believe I just had my first social orgasm in four years with two incredibly gorgeous, sexy men who are committed to each other." I couldn't believe I'd just done that but they both seemed completely fine - happy even.

"Come on," Ric said. He took my hand and pulled me toward a chair where he placed a bottle of water in my hand. "It's getting late. You tired?" he asked. Damn, these two men were perfect.

"Yeah, but I'm good to stay as long as you want to," I replied.

"I think we're both ready as well. You okay with staying here tonight? We have a separate apartment that we use here. It's late and we've all been drinking too much to drive."

"Sure," I agreed.

We made our rounds saying goodbye to everyone and I watched from a distance as Ric and Tank had a short conversation with Les. Finally they returned to my side and led me to a beautiful apartment.

"There's only one bedroom, Babe, so you can climb in bed with us tonight," Ric explained.

"What?!" I yelped. "I can just sleep on the couch!"

"No way, come on," Tank insisted. He took my hand and led me into the bedroom. "There's a spare toothbrush in the drawer by the sink. You can sleep in the shirt you got me for my birthday. Neither of us will sleep well if you're on the couch."

I was too tired and buzzed to argue, so I brushed my teeth and then walked into the closet. I closed the door behind me, took off my dress, and grabbed the shirt I had given Tank. I slipped it over my head and walked out to the bedroom to see them both laying there under the covers. Tank patted the bed next to him and lifted the covers up.

"Right here, Mami," he said sleepily. I shrugged and crawled into bed next to Tank and fell immediately into a blissful sleep.


	15. Chapter 15

Tank's POV

I woke up Sunday morning and smiled as I realized where I was. Somehow we'd switched positions in the middle of the night and Steph was sandwiched between Ric and me. He was lying at her back with his arms around her and she had thrown her arms and leg over me and curled up. We were a tangle of limbs and all I could do was enjoy it. If Ric and I had our way, this would happen a lot more in the future.

I turned my head toward Ric as I saw him move slightly and smiled when our eyes met. He was sexy as hell, and seeing him curled around Steph just made him even sexier.

"Morning, Jefe," I whispered quietly. Steph's breathing was deep and even and she was still dead to the world.

"Mmm...good morning, Gordito," he responded, his voice still deep with sleep.

"It damn sure is a good morning," I smirked with a glance at Steph all cuddled up with both of us. "How do you think she's going to react to last night and waking up with us?" I'd been concerned she might spook and try to put distance between us.

"I think she'll be embarrassed, so we'd better be quick to reassure her and keep her close. The less time we give her alone today, the better. If she gets alone she'll start overthinking things. You still okay with everything?" he asked me.

"Yeah, I'm good. Shocked as hell that all went down last night and about her confession that she hasn't had a social orgasm since her divorce, but good," I answered as I thought back to how sexy she'd looked as she moved between us and shuttered with pleasure when she came. "I'd love to wake her up the same way but I don't think that's a good idea."

"No, definitely not," Ric agreed. "It's a damn shame though, because I'm hard as a rock right now."

"You and me both," I answered as I reached down and adjusted my dick. It was getting painful. "I'd go rub one out in the bathroom but I'm afraid me getting out of bed would wake her up."

"I'll take care of you as soon as we have a few minutes without her," he promised me. He was quiet for a moment before he continued. "You know, I seriously wondered if Ram was going to cause a scene last night when we left. What do you think his problem was?"

"He and Steph have gotten close and I think he was trying to look out for her. I suspect he cares about her," I theorized. "No one outside of Les and Bobby know about Alyssa so he's probably trying to figure out what the hell is going on."

"Since when has Ram cared more about a woman than he does about his dick?" Ric scoffed.

"You know as well as I do that Steph has a way of drawing people in. Look at us - we both fell for her instantly. Is it really so hard to believe that he could care for her too? Hell, I think half of the guys here would gladly face us both on the mats if they thought they had a shot with her."

"Do you think she has any idea that we're serious?" Ric asked. It was unusual to hear him so unsure of himself.

"No, and I think we need to fix that quickly if we don't want her to be open to someone else."

Steph started to stir and Ric and I quickly ended our conversation. I chuckled silently as she seemed to purr as she slowly woke and wiggled further into Ric and me. He and I shared a heated look over her as we enjoyed her closeness. She tensed a few minutes later and barely opened one eye. Her mouth fell open when she saw us and her cheeks flushed a beautiful red.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get between you two," she whispered. She started to move, but I quickly tightened my arm around her just enough to let her know that I didn't want her to go anywhere.

"I'm not sure how you got there, but neither of us are complaining, Little Girl. Hell, I'd happily wake up like this any morning you want to cuddle," I teased, and she relaxed.

"Tank is right, Babe. We've both enjoyed having the opportunity to have you close this morning," Ranger reassured her.

"Still, I kind of need to take care of business," she replied with a wiggle. She didn't look embarrassed or tense now so I moved my arm and let her up. "Mind if I take a shower while I'm in there?"

"Go for it. I'm pretty sure that we have some of Celia's clothes in the closet that you can borrow to wear home. I'll get something out for you while you're in the shower," Ric promised.

Steph's POV

I shut the bathroom door behind me and took a deep breath. I remembered last night vividly, every single detail. I took care of business and then stripped and walked to the shower as I thought about the feeling of their hard bodies moving next to mine, how amazing it felt to have their hands on me, the feel of Tank's leg against my drenched core. I'd never done something like that in my entire life. Part of me couldn't believe that I'd had an orgasm while dancing with them, and the other part of me wanted to experience the moment again right now.

I felt the water temp and then stepped into the shower, relishing the hot spray and the moment alone to collect myself. My mind went to waking up this morning. I could feel Ric's length hard against my ass, and it was obvious with one look at Tank that he was also pitching quite a tent in his boxers. I was having a deliciously erotic dream with both of them and no clothes when I started to wake up. I could only hope that I didn't say anything in my sleep.

I stood under the shower, allowing the spray to rain down over my body, and slid one hand between my legs as I moved the other to pinch and roll my nipples. My mind was imprinted with the looks on their faces as they watched me cum last night and how I would have liked to wake up this morning. I rubbed my clit and bit my lip to keep from moaning out loud. I was drenched and aching for release. I continued to tease my nipples while I slid two fingers into my core and shuddered with pleasure. I continued to work my fingers in and out, becoming more frantic with need as I went. I moved my other hand from my nipples to my clit and fall apart with seconds with a whispered mantra falling off of my lips over and over. "Ranger. Tank. Ranger. Tank."

I came down from my orgasm and began washing my body with one thought in mind. I needed to put some space between the guys and myself if I wanted to have any hope of not falling for or jumping them.

Ric's POV

I grabbed one of my sister's pairs of yoga pants and one of my t-shirts out of the closet for Steph and sat them right outside the bathroom door. I could hear the shower turn on and knew we didn't have any time to waste if wanted to blow off some steam and be able to behave like gentlemen before she came out of the shower. Tank was bending over to make the bed and I quickly crossed the room and grabbed his hips.

"You're going to have to be very quiet," I warned him. I pulled his boxers down just enough to gain access to his ass and grabbed the lube out of the nightstand right next to me. I lubed my fingers and dick and then stretched him wide with my fingers, sliding them into his warmth. He was hot and ready and already begging me quietly.

"Please, Jefe. Please, I need to come," he babbled as I worked him open. Satisfied with my work, I removed my fingers and reached over and handed him a wad of tissues; I didn't want Steph to walk out to find remnants of our frantic love making on the duvet. Then I slid inside him and thrust hard, both of us frantic to find our release. Knowing that Steph was naked in the next room fueled our need and we both came quickly and silently. Apparently Steph loved the shower because we'd both cleaned up and had coffee waiting by the time she finally emerged looking refreshed and relaxed.

"Coffee, Babe?" I offered as I held a cup out toward her. I'd learned very quickly just how serious she was about her coffee and how she liked that first cup. I didn't feel the need to tell her that I'd used half and half and a natural sugar substitute.

"Mmm...thank you," she moaned after her first sip. "Just the way I like it."

"You're welcome. You ready to head back to Trenton? I thought we would stop for breakfast on the way."

She looked at us both for several seconds, seemingly mulling over something in her mind, and finally nodded. "Yeah, breakfast would be good."


	16. Chapter 16

Steph's POV

I closed my apartment door behind me and sagged against it, grateful to be alone in my space. The guys had tried hard to convince me to come up and spend the day with them until time to leave for dinner at my parents' house but I insisted that I had things I needed to take care of at home. In reality, I needed a break from whatever the hell was going on with them. When I was with the two of them, it was easy to forget that they're gay and very much not mine. I got lost in the feeling of being with them, but reality would crash down the instant I was alone for a minute and remind me that they weren't mine. I really needed to get myself out there and find someone special to spend some time with.

I jumped as there was a knock on the door and quickly turned to open it. "Hey," I said with a warm smile when I saw my visitor.

"Hey, Steph. I just saw you in the hall and thought you might like to come watch the game," Ram replied with a smile. He had short, dark hair and beautiful blues eyes to go along with the cutest set of dimples I'd ever seen, and when he smiled I'm pretty sure I melted a little.

"Of course. I have some time before dinner," I answered.

I followed him down the hall to his apartment and we both got comfortable on his couch with a bowl of popcorn set out on the table. I just wished that we had some Tastykakes and a Coke around; my Hungarian hormones were screaming for attention. I'd learned earlier in the week that he shared my love for junk food as we talked while he was giving me some additional training on the range. Tank had started my firearms training, but as the official range master for the company Ram would have to sign off on my training and certify me for field readiness with my weapon.

"Did you enjoy the party?" he asked me during a commercial break. He was looking at me intently and I had a feeling that he was looking for information of some sort.

"Umm..yeah, it was great," I answered vaguely. I wasn't sure exactly what to say about the experience.

He muted the television and turned to face me. "Are Ranger and Tank treating you well?" he prodded.

"Huh?"

"You've been spending a lot of time with them. I just want to make sure that you feel comfortable and you're enjoying your time with them. They can be kind of...intense at times," he answered.

"Of course I enjoy spending time with them. I just...I don't want to spend so much time with them that I miss out on finding someone for me, you know? I love being around them both and hope to find something like that for myself," I said softly as I thought through my feelings.

Ram ram his hands over his face and blew out a deep breath. It was the most frustration I'd ever seen from one of the men. "And they respect you, right? They're both used to getting what they want from people, although I've admittedly never really seen them around a woman that they treat like you. I just want to make sure you're okay with last night."

My face instantly reddened and I pulled my legs to my chest as though that could hide me from his question. "You saw that?" I whispered.

He reached over and pulled my hands away from my face. "There's no need to hide, Steph. What happened last night - it isn't anything to be embarrassed about. I just want to make sure that they're not forcing you into anything that you don't want to do."

"No!" I answered quickly, shaking my head for emphasis. "No, nothing like that. Last night was just...alcohol, and a dry spell, and music, and…it wasn't unwelcome."

"Okay."

"But I'm not some slut or something like that," I quickly added. "I mean, I haven't even been with anyone since my divorce. God, where the hell is my filter?!" I couldn't believe I'd just said that.

Ram chuckled and ruffled my hair. "I didn't think that at all. I just wanted to check on you," he reassured me.

"Thanks, you're the best," I replied quietly. "I guess I'd better go back to my apartment and get ready for dinner." The time had gotten away from me and it was almost 5:00.

"Yeah, sure," Ram answered. He almost looked disappointed for me to leave.

"You can come hang out while I'm getting ready if you want," I offered, and his face lit up.

"That would be great."

Ram followed me to my apartment and sat on the counter while I did my hair and makeup, the two of us talking easily the entire time. He had a great sense of humor and was fun to be around. I slipped into my closet to get dressed and then met him in the living room once I was ready to go. I was struggling to get my shoes on and groaned as I wiggled my foot into it.

"You okay?" he asked with a frown.

"Yeah, just too much dancing in heels yesterday. My feet are still killing me," I explained.

"C'mere," he said as he patted the couch.

I walked over and sat down next to him and he immediately pulled my feet into his lap and began rubbing them.

"Oh god, that feels amazing," I moaned as he hit all the sore spots.

"Gotta take care of my favorite Range Girl," he replied with a wink.

"You're such a charmer."

"Hey, what can I say! I try," he chuckled.

Just then there was a knock at my door. "It's open!" I called. I was unwilling to end my foot massage any earlier than I had to. Ranger and Tank walked in and stopped abruptly as they eyed Ram and I on the couch.

"What's going on, Babe?" Ranger asked with a raised eyebrow. I think they can all do that. Too bad I can't.

"Oh, Ram and I were just spending some time together this afternoon. I just need to throw my shoes on."

"I've got it," Ram quickly interrupted. He reached down and picked up my shoes and slid them gently on my feet.

"Thanks, you're the best," I answered quietly.

"Anything for you, sweetheart. Just come over if you want to hang out again after dinner tonight."

"Sure, I'll let you know."


	17. Chapter 17

Ric's POV

I tensed and clenched my jaw as I watched Steph and Ram together on her couch. I knew they'd been spending time together in the range, but I didn't realize that they'd gotten close enough to spend time together outside of work. Tank must have noticed my reaction because he put his hand on the back of my neck and squeezed gently. I took a deep breath and consciously relaxed my muscles in an effort not to overreact or do something stupid.

Steph walked over to Tank and I and flashed us a warm smile that instantly made me feel more centered. I gave Ram a stern look and took Steph's hand in my own to lead her out the door, grateful to have her back with us.

"Did you have a nice afternoon, Babe?" I asked on the way to the garage.

"Yeah, Ram and I watched the game and hung out for a little while," she answered.

"I didn't realize you two were close." I knew I was fishing for information.

"Huh? Oh, I don't know that we're close. I mean, I've only known any of you for a week so how close could we be? But he helped me pack and move, and then we talk while we're in the gun range together. He's fun to talk to," she explained. I was relieved to hear that they weren't what she would consider close.

We arrived in the garage and Tank helped her into the SUV as I got situated behind the wheel. It was a short, quiet drive to Steph's parents' house. She was normally quite the talker, but she was uncharacteristically quiet tonight. Something had shifted since this morning and I couldn't put my finger on what it was. I hoped that I could get it out of her tonight.

We pulled up to the curb at the Plum house and Steph sighed loudly. Two women were standing on the front porch waiting to greet us.

"My mother and grandma," she said softly, seemingly only talking to herself. "My mother will probably criticize me and sneak drinks all night long. My grandmother will try to grab your asses or cop a feel of your packages so don't let her get you alone."

I swallowed hard and nodded. I can't say that I was really looking forward to the evening but I would do anything for Steph, and I knew that Tank felt the same way. "Thanks for the warning, Babe."

We all got out of the car and walked to where Stephanie's mother was eyeing us warily. "Come in quickly. What will the neighbors think of us all standing out here?" she scolded, and I saw Steph instantly deflate. She shuffled us into the house as we both made sure to keep our backsides from her grandma. Steph led us all to the living room where her dad was sitting watching the news.

"Mom, Dad, Grandma - these are my bosses and good friends, Ranger and Tank. Guys, this is my dad, Frank, my mom, Helen, and my grandma, Edna."

Steph's dad eyed us both and stood from his chair. His gaze was assessing and I immediately knew that he had a military background from how he handled himself. "Special forces?" he asked quietly.

"Yes, sir," I nodded. "We also own RangeMan, LLC. We provide security services in Trenton, Boston, and Miami. Tank and I still consult for the military as well."

His face softened a bit and he offered his hand to shake both of ours. "Welcome to our home. You two are watching out for my Pumpkin?" he asked, turning his eyes to Steph.

"We're doing our absolute best," Tank assured him, and just like that we seemed to be instantly accepted by her dad. He invited us to sit down with him in the living room while Mrs. Plum stormed off toward what I assumed was the kitchen. Steph gave her dad a questioning look.

"Don't you worry about her, Pumpkin. She's in a snit tonight, but I'll take care of her," he reassured Steph, and she seemed to relax.

Dinner was on the table a few minutes later, and the doorbell rang just as we were sitting down.

Steph looked at her mom questioningly and seemed to have a sudden epiphany. "Mom, why is there another seat at the table?" she asked. Her mother had insisted that we sit on either side of Mrs. Mazur and had placed Stephanie on the other side of the table with an empty seat next to her.

"I thought you might like to catch up with an old friend," Mrs. Plum responded as she moved toward the door, "Everyone just stay where you are; I'll greet our guest and be right back."

Confused looks were exchanged around the table and Stephanie instantly tensed when we all heard the voice of the guest. Joe Fucking Morelli. He walked into the room with Mrs. Plum and Steph started shooting her mother looks that would make half of my men think twice about crossing her. Unfortunately her mother seemed immune to it.

"Right this way, Joseph. Your seat is next to Stephanie," Mrs. Plum said with a stern look toward Steph that I'm certain was meant to keep her in line. "We're so glad that you could come to dinner tonight, aren't we, Stephanie?"

Steph just stared at her disbelievingly and shook her head.

"Hey there, Cupcake," Joe said with a wink as he sat down next to Steph, and I instantly wanted to break his neck. It was obvious that he was trying to use Steph's mother to get back in her good graces.

"I've told you not to call me that!" Steph snapped, and I was instantly proud of her.

"Stephanie Michelle Plum! That's no way to speak to our guest! You apologize to Joseph right this instant!"

"I will do no such thing. The way I see things, he still owes me an apology," Steph insisted.

"Kitchen, now!" Helen demanded, and Steph let out a deep breath and followed her into the kitchen. This didn't sound good at all.

It was silent for a minute and then we all heard Mrs. Plum tearing into Steph. I'd never wanted to hit a woman so badly in my life. She was calling my Babe an ungrateful embarrassment and a failure for not staying with her first husband and then dressing her down as she went on about why Steph should fall at Morelli's feet. Morelli looked like the cat that ate the canary, and something about seeing him look so damn smug hooked something in me. I stood from the table and walked toward the kitchen.

"You should be grateful that Joseph is still willing to take you on!" Mrs. Plum scolded.

"Mother, I'm not a stray cat. I don't need you to set me up!" Steph insisted.

"Because you're doing such a good job finding someone to put up with you now? You're not getting any younger, Stephanie!"

I'd heard enough. I walked toward the kitchen and didn't even think before acting. I stood next to Steph and put my arm around her shoulders, pulling her close to me. She looked at me questioningly but I just stayed the course.

"I don't consider being with your daughter a hardship at all, Mrs. Plum. In fact, I count myself lucky that she shares her life with me," I said smoothly, hoping to deescalate the situation quickly. Steph gave me that puzzled look again but put her arm around my waist, apparently willing to play along.

"You two are dating?" she scoffed. "Joseph says that you're all thugs and criminals!"

"I assure you that my business and personal dealings are all legal. We provide a service to the community, much like Officer Morelli does," I ground out while trying to play nicely. That stupid fucking prick. I'd really like to get him alone now.

Mrs. Plum looked as us for several minutes and then finally stormed back into the dining room.

"What the hell was that, Carlos?" Steph asked when her mom was out of earshot.

"I just couldn't stand the way she was talking to you, Babe."

I took her by the hand and led her into the dining room where I'm certain everyone had been listening to the whole exchange. I was going to wipe that smug smile right off of Morelli's face.

"Mrs. Mazur, you don't mind trading Steph places so I can sit by my girl, do you?" I asked with a bright smile that I knew made the ladies melt.

"I guess I could sit by the Italian Stallion since you're with my baby girl," Edna replied with a wicked gleam in her eyes. She clicked her teeth all the way over to Joe and I saw him visibly pale.

I helped Steph into the seat between Tank and me and pulled my chair closer to hers. I was going to enjoy every minute of fucking with Morelli.

"How long have you been dating that stud? And how did you two meet?" Mrs. Mazur asked Steph, and I saw Tank stifle a laugh.

Steph tensed and looked at me with a syrupy sweet look. I could tell she wasn't amused, but I'd never been one to back down from a challenge. "Why don't you tell them that story, dear?" she said as she turned her eyes on me.

I put my arm around Steph and started playing with the ends of her hair. "Well, we met when I agreed to help the new bounty hunter at Plum Bail Bonds learn the ropes. Tank and I made her an offer to work for us instead so that we could keep her safe, and we just hit it off from there. I knew instantly that I needed her in my life," I explained. I'm sure Steph thought I was kidding, but that was exactly how it happened for me. "She's such a beautiful, amazing, intelligent woman. Any man would be stupid not to realize how incredible she is."

"Ain't that a pip!" Edna exclaimed. "You found a good one there, Baby Girl."

Steph nodded and gave me a small smile. I hoped my words undid some of the damage that her mother had done in the kitchen.

"You didn't mention anything at Pino's the other day," Joe ground out.

"Well, it's still new. Steph and I had hoped to keep it quiet for a bit to avoid being the center of gossip, but I guess the secret is out now. Stephanie Plum is officially off the market."

Her eyes shot up to meet mine and I could see that she was building up a good head of steam. She had just opened her mouth to chew me out, I'm sure, and I did the first thing that I thought of. I leaned down and fused my lips to hers, completely taking her by surprise. Her mouth was still open in shock and I couldn't help but slip my tongue inside her mouth. She stilled for a minute and then seemed to melt into my kiss a bit. I pulled away a few seconds later and chuckled when I saw her sitting there all dazed and confused.

"You've got yourself a live one there!" Mrs. Mazur chirped just as Mrs. Plum stormed out of the room.

"No pineapple upside down cake for you, young lady!" she screeched as she retreated to the kitchen. What an interesting night.


	18. Chapter 18

Steph's POV

I woke up Monday morning determined to get through my time in the gym with the guys and have a serious conversation with Ric about what he'd done the previous night. He had to see reason and realize how him claiming me as his woman would effect me. While a part of me would give anything to actually be his and Tank's woman, I knew that wasn't a possibility. I'd somehow come to care deeply about them in the short time that I'd known them and was really having a difficult time separating the reality of their relationships from my desires and how they made me feel.

I drug myself out of bed and got ready for the gym, hoping to be able to talk to Ric and Tank before I lost my nerve or they scrambled my brain cells by getting too close to me, or heaven forbid, kissing me again. Or both of them kissing me. I moaned out loud at that thought and then slapped my hand over my mouth. I couldn't think about that! I slammed my apartment door behind me and stomped my way to the stairs, frustrated by my constant thoughts of the guys. What the hell happened to me?! I was Stephanie Plum - boring little 'ole girl from the Burg. I didn't fantasize about people who were in committed relationships, let alone having two men at once! Ugh!

I threw the gym door open and every eye turned to me in surprise. Ha! Who needs to be more aware of their surroundings now?

"I didn't realize the door had done anything to you," Les smirked.

"Bite me!" I growled, and his face quickly sobered.

"You okay, Beautiful?"

"Yeah, I just need to talk to Ric and Tank before I get distracted," I explained. It was obvious from the look on his face that he was concerned about me.

"About that, let's walk and talk."

Les led me out of the gym and toward the stairs. "I thought we'd run outside today. We can talk on the way," he told me as we began the trip down to the ground level. "Ric and Tank got a call shortly after you all got back from your parents' house last night. They got called to DC for a few days."

My eyes went wide and I stopped walking. "Are they okay?" I asked.

"Yeah, they're fine, Beautiful. You know that they still consult for the military, right?" I nodded. "They'll be safe and sound in DC doing their thing. No danger to either of them, I promise. They wanted to tell you, but they didn't get any notice before their pickup. They asked me to tell you that they'll be back within a week and will explain everything then. He also mentioned that the three of you needed to talk about something when they get back. If you ask me, I think they're going to be lost without you this week while they're gone," Les teased and I laughed as we began our jog.

"Please, they're only known me for a week. If they're like most of the people in my life, they'll be grateful for the distance from me."

Les stopped jogging and grabbed my hand. "What are you talking about?"

I shuffled my feet uncomfortably and looked down. "Morelli couldn't get out of town fast enough after he fucked me, my jackass ex-husband couldn't keep his dick in his pants until the ink on the marriage license was dry and couldn't get rid of me quick enough, my mother says I embarrass her all the time." I was yelling by this time and felt tears welling up. "I'm sorry, you don't want to hear this," I whispered as I felt a tear sliding down my cheek.

Les reached out and wrapped me up in his arms, holding me tightly to him while I began sobbing. "I've got you, Steph. It's okay," he soothed me.

"What's wrong with me, Les?"

"Come on, no run today. Let's go back to my apartment and talk," he urged me. I nodded and followed him back to the building. "What's going on in your head?" he asked when we'd gotten comfortable on his couch.

"I just...I'm surrounded by you guys, and you're all incredible, but I can't help but want to find my special someone, you know? And then I wonder if I'm too broken or not good enough for someone to really love me and want to be with me. I hear it all the time from my mom."

"Your mom's dead wrong, Steph," Les said firmly.

"Did Ric tell you about dinner last night?" I asked, and he shook his head. "My mom was in a mood from the minute we got there. When we sat down for dinner the doorbell rang. She had invited Joe Morelli in some kind of scheme to set us up. Ric somehow thought it was a good idea to pretend that we're together and told my mom and Morelli that I was off the market. How in the hell am I supposed to date when the whole damn town thinks I'm Ranger Manoso's woman now?!" I was quickly building up a head of steam again.

"It's not that bad, Beautiful. I'm sure Ric will straighten things out when he gets home," Les tried soothingly, but I was having none of us.

"Not that bad?!" I screeched. "Les, I haven't had sex in four damn years! The closest I've gotten to getting some action is dancing with Ric and Tank Saturday night, and I'm pretty sure they don't want me in their bed!" I was quickly approaching rhino mode now. "All I want is to find someone and be happy, but then they come in with their delicious cologne that makes me want to mount them and their warm bodies up next to mine and treating me like I'm special to them and they fry my brain! On top of all that, I've got all these gorgeous men looking like sex on legs constantly around me and I cant even eat any fucking sugar! Ric told me I'd be allowed some sugar, but no, apparently he didn't think my need for it was serious enough to let Bobby know!"


	19. Chapter 19

Les's POV

I watched in shock as Steph stormed out of my apartment angrily. What the hell was she talking about with sugar?! I hope my cousin knew what he was doing with her. At this point I really didn't think he realized how much he'd gotten into her head. It was going to be a long week waiting for them to get home and straighten things out with her. I just hoped for all of their sakes that it wasn't too late. She was pretty damn confused and angry right now, and I had a feeling it was completely justified. It was just too damn bad that they had gotten called away before they could talk with her, especially after the shit he'd pulled last night. I sighed and picked up my phone to shoot off a quick text message to Ric. He needed to know what was going on. My phone rang a few minutes later.

"Report!" he barked, and I actually laughed out loud.

"You want a report, Primo? Alright, I'll give you a report. Your girl is hysterical this morning. You dumbasses must have really done a number on her last night. She's one pissed off lady, ranting about you claiming her in front of her family and the Burg and how long it's been since she's had sex and how she just wants to find someone to love. How the hell has a woman that beautiful not had sex in four years anyway? Are the men around her blind?!"

"You sound like a crazy woman, Santos," Ric chuckled.

"Fuck you, man. You left me here to deal with the mess you've made with Steph and you want to give me a hard time? You've got that girl so confused that she doesn't know which way is up. You're damn lucky I respect you too much to go after her myself," I warned him.

"That would end very badly for you," Ric growled. "Speaking of which, keep an eye on Ramsey. I think they're getting close. I won't hesitate to follow through if my orders are ignored."

"You want my advice?" I asked.

"No."

"Tough shit. You want her? Man up and tell her, and fast. Otherwise, let her find someone who will treat her right. Quit dicking around with her and have an honest conversation before it's too late for you. If you don't treat her right, if you don't allow her to be with someone who makes her happy even if it's not you and Tank, I won't even think twice about taking you both on."

I hung up and threw my phone down on the couch and then scrubbed my hands over my face. My cousin had really made a mess of this. My phone went off with an alert and I took a few deep breaths. Duty called; I was needed on the control room floor.

Steph walked into the morning meeting an hour later looking much more calm and in control, but I had a feeling that she was still teetering on the edge of a meltdown. We went through our reports and assignments for the day quickly. I dismissed the men, but asked Steph to hang back with me.

"What's up?" she asked with a small smile.

"You okay now?" I asked quietly.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I'm sorry about that. I'm a little on edge, between the exercise and lack of sugar and being confused. I'm sorry about earlier today," she said with a blush.

"Don't be. That's what I'm here for, Steph," I said sincerely. "You're part of the family now."

Steph nodded and smiled her beautiful, bright smile at me. "Thanks, Les."

"No problem. Now, Ric, Tank, Bobby and I had some conversations last week and did some work while you were out shopping Saturday morning. Come on, I have something to show you."

I led Steph to a doorway across from Ric and Tank's offices and stopped her. She looked at me questioningly and I smiled and turned her toward the door. "We all agree that you're a huge asset to the team, and we're proud of you for stepping up and taking so much responsibility so quickly. You've somehow managed to organize the paperwork and payroll so it's no longer a huge pain in the ass and do a better job keeping up with it than any of us ever could. And then the searches - I still don't know how you find the intel that you give us! This is from all four of us on the core team - it's to show you how important you've become to us and how much faith we have in you."

I opened the door and Steph's jaw dropped. "Is this…" she trailed off.

"This is your new office. We all recognize that you can contribute to this company in a lot of different ways. It's our hope that you'll accept this office and the new responsibility that comes with it. Ric and Tank were very proud of what you did last week and would like you to continue as we train you. What do you say?" I asked.

She walked into the office and looked around in awe of the space. We'd used everything we had learned about her in the short time we'd known her to ensure that the office fit her perfectly. We knew she loved the ocean and blue was her favorite color, so Ella had picked out a light blue for the walls and Louis had hung a white chair rail and crown molding. We'd done the painting and moved in furniture while Ella took care of the decorations.

"It's perfect," Steph whispered with tears in her eyes. "I can't believe you guys did this for me." Her eyes were darting around the room, from the canvas of the ocean to the curtains to the desk accessories Ella had chosen for her.

"And we can't believe that you treat us all like normal people and accept us," I answered her. Tears were springing to her eyes once again this morning, so I pulled her into a hug and kissed the top of her head. "So what do you say, Beautiful? Think you'll keep this office and the work that goes along with it?"

"Of course!" she replied with her bubbly laugh.

"And what about us? Will you keep all of us, too?"

"Hmm...you drive a hard bargain, but sure!"

"Good, I'll leave you to your work then. You know how to find me if you need me."

I left her to explore her new office while I took care of business. It was a crazy day since I was taking care of mine, Ric's, and Tank's jobs, minus what Steph had picked up in paperwork and administrative tasks, of course. I'd never keep up if she wasn't helping.

I finally closed my office door for the day hours later and noticed that her light was still on. I approached her office and saw her sitting there with Ram, laughing and talking.

"Hey, you about ready to call it a day?" I asked her.

"Yeah, I'm starving," she replied with a smile.

"Hey, you want to grab dinner?" Ram asked before I could offer, and Steph's face lit up.

"That would be perfect!" she agreed.

Ric and Tank better get home quickly.


	20. Chapter 20

Steph's POV

I set another search working on my computer and then locked it and stretched my tired back and shoulders. It was Wednesday, and I was feeling twitchy. Between being off sugar and feeling so confused and angry over Ric's stunt Sunday at my parents I felt rhino mode lurking imminently. I was doing fine with my shower massager, but then Ric and Tank happened on Saturday night and it hadn't been the same since. No matter what I tried, I couldn't make myself cum. They were both definitely getting a piece of my mind when they got back into town.

I stood from my desk and made my way to the break room, desperate for another cup of coffee. I splashed some half and half into my cup and filled it to the brim, inhaling deeply when I smelled the delicious brew. It was almost orgasmic. Probably still would be if those two dirty bastards hadn't ruined me. Jackasses.

I walked through the control room to say hi to the guys who were working in their cubicles on my way back and stopped in front of Les's office. He and Bobby both looked tense and exhausted.

"Everything okay?" I asked Les.

"Yeah, Beautiful. Just running out of time to get a high dollar skip. Ric and Tank won't be happy if his bond expires," Les explained.

I walked over to the two men and gave them both a tight hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Mind if I take a look?" I asked. I could see the file on the desk, and the research was done before I started helping with them.

"Not at all, Beautiful. You help us find that guy and I might just ask you to marry me," Les teased with his ridiculous waggling eyebrows, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Careful - I just might accept," I joked back, and Les instantly paled. "You're safe," I assured him.

I snatched the file up off his desk and began flipping through the papers. This guy was bad news. Brian Johnson was charged with aggravated assault, attempted murder, and rape. It seems his girlfriend had strayed and he'd lost his shit when he found out.

I continued to familiarize myself with the file and grabbed a highlighter off of Les's desk to notate important information. It looked like this guy was a long-time womanizing jerk. We had to get him back into the system in order to keep women in the city safe.

I leafed through his credit card transactions and noticed a pattern that would serve us well. "Right here!" I exclaimed excitedly.

"What did you find, Beautiful?" Les asked. He and Bobby both leaned over the desk to look at the papers in my hand.

"He's at Sal's every Thursday night. His credit card transactions show a large tab every week. Sal's is a little dive bar not too far from where I grew up, and Thursdays are ladies' night. I suspect he goes to pick up some poor, unsuspecting, drunk girl."

"So we grab him when he arrives or leaves? That might work, but there's still a risk to innocent bystanders," Bobby thought out loud.

"I think it's better to send a woman in tarted up and have her lead him out under the pretense of him getting lucky. He will be so focused on her that he'll never see you guys step in and grab him. It's the perfect way to get him; we just distract him and grab him," I explained.

"That's not a bad idea, but where will we find the girl?" Les asked.

"I'm so glad you asked. I'll do it," I said proudly. This was just what I needed to get out of this funk I'd been in all week.

"Ranger would have my balls if you got hurt," Les replied quickly. "Hell, he'll probably have them even if you're fine."

"What Ranger doesn't know won't hurt him," I smirked. "Come on, Les. I'm really restless and I need to do this. I'm going stir crazy here this week."

"Missing Ranger and Tank that much?" he chuckled.

"Fuck you, Santos! Now, are you going to let me do this or not?" Rhino mode was quickly approaching.

"Let's sit down and talk over the logistics. Then we'll make a decision together," Bobby offered soothingly.

I nodded and sat down, taking a big sip of my coffee to try and calm down.

"Alright, tell us what you're thinking," Les prompted.

"Alright, I think this is how it'll work. I'll go in looking like whatever his type is and will wear a wire. I'll get him interested and convince him to leave with me. We can have a couple of guys inside the bar with me and team at both doors. I'll try to get him out the back door so there's no risk of the general public being around or getting hurt."

Les nodded his head and thought for a minute. "I think you might be onto something. I want a guy behind the bar making you virgin drinks, too. We can't take a chance at you getting tipsy or him slipping something into your drink. Are you sure you want to do this, Steph?"

"Absolutely. I've been training hard with you guys, and I trust you all to have my back. If anything feels off we'll call it off," I offered.

Bobby and Les shared a look. Probably their damn ESP again. "Alright, we'll plan the op for tomorrow night. You have to promise to rescue me if Ranger and Tank send me to Siberia, though," Les answered.

I jumped up and hugged them both. "Thank you guys so much! This will go off perfectly, I just know it!"

"I hope for everyone's sake you're right," Bobby agreed.

"I need to go shopping for the perfect outfit!" I exclaimed happily.

"Take your company credit card; it's a business expense," Les said with a smile.

I skipped out of Les's office and ran into Ram out on the floor. He wrapped his arms around me to stop me from falling and hugged me. "Whoa, what are you so happy about?" he asked with a laugh that showed his sexy dimples.

"I need to go to the mall! I'm going to help grab a skip tomorrow night; my job is to get all slutted up and get him to follow me out of the bar!"

Ram's jaw tensed and I saw him taking deep breaths. "I'm on the schedule tomorrow night; I'm going with you," he insisted seriously. "I have to make sure you're safe."

"Sure, I'll let Les and Bobby know. I'm sure they'll want you on the team," I agreed.

"Good. What do you say we grab dinner and I'll go shopping with you after we're both off tonight?" Ram asked.

Be still my beating heart. A man who wants to shop with me. "You're on!"


	21. Chapter 21

Ram's POV

I swear my heart practically stopped when Steph told me that she was going to be in on the op tomorrow night. It wouldn't have mattered if I was off tomorrow night; I still would have been there. I couldn't stand the thought of not being there to make sure she was safe and everything went okay.

I watched her skip back to her office and walked to Les's open door. "You have a second?" I asked as I knocked on the door frame. He and Bobby were looking at a file that was laying out on his desk.

"Sure, come on in," Les answered without even looking up.

I walked in and shut the door behind me before sitting down across from Les and Bobby.

Les finally looked up and fixed me with a glare. "You need something, Ramsey?"

"Yeah, I want to be on the team tomorrow night when Steph goes after the skip," I stated firmly, hoping to eliminate any discussion over it.

"Why's that?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I want to make sure she's safe. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something happened to her," I explained.

"And what's your relationship with Steph, exactly?"Les pressed, and I had to reign in my anger over the question.

"We're friends," I gritted out.

"I believe that you're just friends at the moment, but I see how you look at her. I can't have you going off half-cocked if something goes wrong. Are you going to be able to remain professional?" Les asked as he fixed me with a hard look.

"Absolutely," I affirmed.

"Do I need to remind you about the boss man's warning about trying to get into her pants?" Les continued.

"I'm not trying to get in her damn pants!" I exclaimed. "She deserves better than that!"

"You're right, she does. I think you're getting ready to make a move. Maybe your intention isn't just to get in her pants, but I know you're into her. It wouldn't be wise to try to move in on her, though," Les warned. "Are we clear?"

"I'll take that and the potential consequences into consideration, sir," I replied tightly. "Am I dismissed?"

"You are," Les growled.

I walked out of Les's office and took the stairs down to the gym. I was feeling unbalanced and needed to work out this anger and frustration over his warnings before I saw Steph tonight. I know what Ranger said, but I also know she would be worth it. He had no claim over her; hell, he was gay and lived with his partner. I didn't give a flying fuck about his sexual orientation, but it was bullshit that he thought he could make her off limits. She deserved to find someone just as much as he did. It didn't make sense to me. I had to be missing something.

I took off my utility belt and taped my hands before spending a solid half hour in therapy with the punching bag. The anger slowly waned and I felt more in control and like myself. The longer I hit the bag the more I knew that I was going to ask Steph out, consequences be damned. Ranger could take me to the mats if he wanted to.

After punishing the bag and taking a shower, my afternoon passed quickly. Junior and I picked up a couple of skips, then filed our paperwork and were done for the day. I was just turning off my computer when a shadow fell over my desk. I knew instantly who it was and smiled.

"Hey, gorgeous. You ready for tonight?" I asked with a smile as I held my arm out to her.

"Absolutely, I've been looking forward to it all day!" Steph replied happily.

She started talking the second we hit the stairs and didn't really stop until our food was put in front of us. I'd suggested a little Chinese restaurant not far from the mall and she had readily agreed. Her eyes glazed over when she saw the food and she looked up at me with those beautiful blue eyes.

"This looks perfect. Thank you for ordering while I was in the ladies' room," she said gratefully.

"Of course. Anything for you," I answered. I'd taken a gamble and ordered a few different things for us to share. Fortunately it seemed she was fine with that. We both dug into our food, me anxiously awaiting one of her signature moans that made my cargos feel too tight, when she suddenly dropped her fork and reached for my hands.

"What happened to your knuckles?" she asked. I had been so angry when I taped my hands that I didn't do a very good job.

"I went a few rounds with the bag in the gym this morning to work out some frustrations. I guess I didn't tape my hands as well as I thought I did," I explained sheepishly. I felt like a kid who had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

She raised my hands to her lips and kissed each of my knuckles lightly. "Come to me next time; I'll tape your hands for you to make sure you don't get hurt."

I swallowed hard and nodded. This little girl from the Burg was something special alright. "Okay," I agreed softly.

We moved back to eating and I told her about my day when she asked how it was. "So, what exactly do we need to get for tomorrow night?" I asked when I'd gotten to the end of my day.

"Well, this guy apparently likes women who look easy and don't wear much, so I guess something that fits that. Then we'll need to hit Victoria's Secret to make sure I have the right stuff to wear under it. Thanks for going with me, by the way. Not many guys willingly go shopping."

I almost choked on my food and took a quick drink of water. The thought of what we were going to be shopping for tonight...holy shit! "They would beg to go if they knew what I'm going to get to see you try on tonight," I replied with my wolf grin. I was one hell of a lucky bastard.

"Ha ha, very funny," replied Steph. "It's been way too long since I've had the need to get all dolled up. This is going to be fun! It's just too bad that it's for work and not for fun," she pouted. That gave me an idea for my in.

"Tell you what, pick out something special for Friday night, too. I'll get a group of the guys together and we'll take you out dancing." This was the perfect opportunity to get her away from the office and in my arms for a bit. Maybe I'd ask her out on a date after.

"Seriously?!" she squealed. "Deal!"

That must have gotten her even more excited because she ate faster than a soldier on the front lines, and was ready to leave the restaurant before I knew it. She'd moaned all through dinner, and between that and picturing her in skimpy dresses and lingerie I was hard as a rock. I excused myself while she took a phone call and told her I'd meet her in the car shortly. I hurried into the men's room and locked the door behind me. Fortunately, it was a private restroom instead of stalls and urinals. I'd never make it through this shopping trip without embarrassing myself if I didn't rub one out now. I unzipped my cargos and pulled out my straining dick. Christ, I was in one hell of a state from just hearing her moaning her way through dinner and picturing her in lingerie. I closed my eyes and pictured Steph doing a sexy little strip tease while I stroked myself furiously. I was so far gone from hearing her moans that it wouldn't take long at all. She wiggled her little dress down her hips and let it slide to the floor and my balls started to tighten. Then she got down on her knees and took me into her hot little mouth and I was done for. I came into my other hand and stroked myself softly as my orgasm rolled through me. Shit, what that woman does to me!

I opened my eyes and got myself cleaned up and put back together. A quick look at my watch told me it had been less than ten minutes since I'd left her. I could only hope I lasted longer if I ever actually got the chance to be with her.

I found her sitting in her car still talking on the phone and got in next to her.

"Alright, I've gotta run, Mary Lou. I'll talk to you later." Then she hung up and turned to me. "Everything good? You were gone for a while," she asked.

"Yeah, there was just a problem with the bill. Let's go shopping."

I spent the next three hours watching Steph try on the skimpiest, sexiest dresses I'd ever seen. I thought I'd seen it all as a soldier home on leave, but I was dead wrong. She was so far beyond anyone I'd ever seen. Then she took my hand and led me into Victoria's Secret, and I was instantly glad that I'd taken care of business in the bathroom back at the restaurant because I already felt like I was going to cream my pants again. She gathered lots of barely-there lingerie and disappeared into the fitting room while I took some deep breaths and pictured my grandmother and puppies. That should help.

By the time we made it back to the building she also seemed to be in a state. I helped her carry her purchases into her apartment and decided this was it. I would try to make a move now and hopefully dancing tomorrow night would be our first date.

I took her hand and led her to the couch so we could sit down facing each other. I slid my arm around her shoulders and pulled her into my chest. I kissed the top of her head and she tipped her head up and looked at me. Her blue eyes looked so beautiful and trusting, and her soft lips were drawing me in. "Can I kiss you?" I whispered.

She nodded her head and smiled at me and I instantly took her lips with mine. I brushed little kisses over her lips and groaned when she opened her mouth to me. My tongue swept into her mouth and she melted against me as we explored each other's mouths.

 **Steph's POV**

I closed my eyes as we were kissing me and relaxed into him. Things were going well until he pulled me into his lap. I ground myself into him shamelessly and caught myself right before I cried out. The wrong name. Shit! Damn Ric for getting in my head!

I climbed off of Ram's lap and stood up to get some distance. "Ram, I'm sorry. I just...I'm confused. I really need to work some things out in my head. I think we'd probably better call it a night. I'll see you in the morning?" I asked breathlessly.

"Of course, sweetheart. I'm sorry about that. You okay?"

"Yeah," I nodded. "Like I said, I just need to do some thinking. I'm still looking forward to tomorrow night, though," I assured him.

"Good. I'll see you tomorrow, Steph." He kissed me on the forehead and walked out my door, and I sunk down on the floor. If Ric was here right now, I would give him a piece of my mind! I have a perfectly great man who wants to be with me and I can't quit thinking about Ric's kiss Sunday night, dancing with him and Tank at the party, and waking up in their arms. Fuck!

I decided to live in denial land a little while longer. Ram might not be the man I was thinking of, but I was still more than ready for an orgasm. It had been five days since I'd been able to make myself cum and I was desperate. I put Herbie Horsecock through its paces but apparently I had more staying power than the damn batteries. I finally ended up in the shower with my trusty shower massager. I was frantic for release at this point, and I collapsed into the floor in tears when it stopped working too. Damn it, I needed to be in charge of my own orgasms and able to get my gay bosses out of my head!


	22. Chapter 22

A/N: For those who are waiting with baited breath, this is the last chapter before the guys come back home.

* * *

Les's POV

I looked down at my ringing phone and I'm pretty sure I did something I'd never done before - I sighed. I really didn't want to have this conversation right now.

"Yo," I answered tersely.

"Report!" barked the boss.

"We're just getting ready to go out and pick up Johnson, Boss. Everything has been well-planned and I don't anticipate any problems," I replied. Granted, I didn't say what exactly had been planned. Maybe he wouldn't need to know.

"Who's going after him? And where are you going to pick him up? He's been tough to get a bead on."

"I know. Our intel says he should be at Sal's tonight looking to take someone home. We'll grab him there," I explained.

"Too many civilians. You'll never get him out of the bar without someone getting hurt," Ric argued.

"We're going to use a distraction to lure him out," I replied vaguely.

"What kind of distraction?"

"A female distraction. She'll go in, flirt a little, and get him to follow her out. We'll have eyes everywhere and guys on the inside with her. We have it all under control," I detailed.

"Who is the female?" Ric ground out. I think he'd put two and two together and gotten the right answer.

"It was not only Steph who found the intel on him, but also her idea for the distraction, and she practically begged us to let her do it. We'll protect her like our own - hell, she is one of us," I argued, grateful that he couldn't take me to the mats while he was in DC.

"Hell no! You can't let her go in there!"

"Look, Boss, she's set her mind on it. After all the bullshit she's been through with Morelli and her mother do you really want to tell her that she can't do this? We have her wired, I've got guys already in place, and I'll let you know the minute she's out safe," I tried.

The line was silent for almost a full minute and I wondered for a second if it had gone dead. "If she gets hurt in any way, I will hold you personally responsible. I don't like this but I'm going to trust Steph to know if she's safe."

And then the line went dead. Fuck. I hope this all goes off without a hitch, for many reasons. I walked to the garage where I was meeting Steph and checked my weapons and utility belt. Everyone else had gone ahead to get into place early. The door opened a minute later and my jaw dropped when I saw her.

"Shit, Beautiful. Forget the skip, let's run off and get married," I joked. She looked incredible. She was wearing a red silk halter top that was completely open in the back, a sinfully short, tight black leather skirt, and high black FMPs.

"You're such a charmer, Les. You wouldn't know what to do with me after you married me," she teased.

I waggled my eyebrows and smiled at her. "Like hell I wouldn't - this outfit gives me all kinds of ideas." I grabbed my phone out of my pocket and snapped a quick picture when she wasn't looking to send to the boss. Hopefully he enjoys it.

She blushed and walked over to the SUV where I helped her in and then jogged around to my side. The drive to the bar was quiet while both of us thought over what needed to happen tonight in order to get Johnson safely into custody. I pulled into the parking lot and put the truck into gear and then turned toward Steph.

"Here's your wire. You know what you need to do in there, right?" I knew she did, but I needed to hear it.

"Yeah, I'm ready, I promise," she assured me.

I leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead and then got out of the truck and stood sentry outside her door while she placed her wire. We would be able to hear her, but she wouldn't wear an earpiece to be able to hear us. She knocked on the window and I turned toward the door.

"We're ready to roll. Everyone keep your ears and eyes open. I need Steph safe when this is all over," I warned the men. With the warning given, I opened the door and helped Steph out of the truck. "Go get 'em, Beautiful." She flashed me a broad smile and walked off toward the club with a little extra swing in her step. Suddenly my ear was filled with groans, gasps, and a few expletives. "Keep it in your pants and do your jobs!" I barked.

Ram was working at the door with their bouncer and let Steph into the bar and then I heard the sounds of the bar in my ear.

"Tastykake is in view," Hal whispered into his mic, and I almost laughed. Steph had insisted on choosing her code name.

 **Steph's POV**

I immediately spotted our guy when I walked into the bar and picked a barstool a few down from him intentionally. I wanted to make him seek me out.

"What can I get you?" Junior asked from behind the bar.

"Hmm...surprise me. I need something to help me forget my jackass of a boyfriend. I went home from work and found him boffing my best friend in our bed!" I answered.

"That's his loss, sweetheart. Let me get you something nice and strong." Junior threw together something that looked like a mixed drink and sat it down in front of me. "Gin and tonic, heavy on the gin. This one's on the house; maybe one of these nice gentlemen will buy the next one for you."

He winked and walked away, and I licked the straw and then sucked it into my mouth. It worked like a charm, and our skip instantly appeared at my side.

"Could I buy your next drink, sexy?" he asked, and I had to force myself not to flinch at how creepy he sounded.

"I never accept drinks from strangers, so you'd better introduce yourself. I'm Michelle," I drawled, turning on the charm.

"I'm Brian, and I couldn't help but overhear your story. Your boyfriend's obviously an idiot. You need a real man to show you a good night and help you forget all about him," he leered. He slid his hand up my thigh and I felt dirty, but I had to do this.

I fluttered my eyelashes at him and smiled. "You volunteering for the job?"

"Hell yeah. You want to get out of here?"

"Let's go, big boy," I purred. This was even easier than I thought it'd be. I stood up and headed toward the front door with him right on my tail. The second we stepped out the door, Ram grabbed him and had him cuffed on the ground. I kept walking away just like Les had told me to do, and walked over to the SUV where he was waiting for me.

"You did great, Beautiful! I'm so proud of you!" Les said as he wrapped me in his arms. I thought about Johnson's hands on me and shivered. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. He just creeped me out, especially when he touched my leg. I'm good, though," I assured Les.

He took his RangeMan windbreaker off and slid it over my shoulders and then helped me into the SUV. "Come on, let's get you home so you can relax."


	23. Chapter 23

Les's POV

Last night had gone off without a hitch. Steph had gone in the bar, hooked our skip immediately, and he'd followed her out like a puppy dog. Steph's adrenaline crashed after the distraction and so I'd taken her home and stayed in her apartment while she showered and got into some comfortable clothes. Then she'd curled up next to me on the couch and fallen asleep watching Ghostbusters. I'd finally carried her to her bed and tucked her in before returning to my apartment for the night.

I was shuffling through the paperwork covering my desk when my cell phone rang again.

"Yo, Bossman."

"I saw your message last night, but I couldn't call until now. She's okay?" he asked me. I'd sent him the message that everything went perfectly right after we took Johnson into custody.

"She's great. She was on her game and everything went exactly according to plan. I brought her back to Haywood myself and watched a movie with her until she fell to sleep on the couch," I assured him.

"Good. Tank and I should be a few more days here. I hope to be home by Monday. Any other issues?"

Shit. I was really hoping he wouldn't ask that, but as his friend he needed to know. "Some of the guys are taking Steph out dancing tonight. I don't know what exactly went down, but I think something happened between Steph and Ram. They'd been spending a lot of time together this week, even going out shopping for her distraction outfit, but they aren't very friendly with each other right now. He'll be there tonight, though. I think he's trying to make his move."

"Find out where they're going," he barked, and then he hung up.

Steph's POV

I fluffed my hair one more time and swiped on an extra coat of mascara. It had been a quiet day in the office and I was getting ready to go out with some of the guys now. Ram had been a bit distant and hard to read today, probably because of what happened between us last night. I hoped that we could enjoy hanging out together tonight and things would be back to normal.

I finally decided that I was as ready as I was going to be and grabbed my things to go meet the guys in the garage. I was surprised by how many of the guys were coming with us when I walked into the garage.

"Come on, Beautiful. You, Ram, and Bobby can ride with me," Les said from his truck.

We all loaded up for the short drive to the club and before I knew it we were pulling into the parking lot. Les must have known the bouncer because he let us go right in after a complicated man handshake, despite the long line waiting to get in.

"Grab a couple of tables for everyone and I'll get the first round," Les said as we walked in. I nodded and walked over to some open tables. Some of the guys helped push them together and we all grabbed a cold Corona when Les brought them to the table. As soon as we'd drained our bottles, Les pulled me out onto the dance floor.

"I get you first, Beautiful, before all the other guys steal you from me and you break my heart."

I laughed and shook my head. "You're such a handful, Les."

"Anytime you want me to be," he leered, and I just rolled my eyes. We danced two songs before Cal cut in for a song. Cal was surprisingly light on his feet for such a big guy and kept me laughing the entire time we danced. I'd never realized what a great sense of humor he had.

Before I knew it, Cal spun me away from him and right to Ram. He held a shot glass out to me and I took it and quickly downed it. "Thought it was my turn to spin you around the dance floor," he explained, and I nodded and stepped into him. "You look amazing tonight, by the way."

"Thanks. This really great guy helped pick it out," I teased, and he chuckled.

"Well, he must know a good thing when he sees it," Ram replied as he pulled me close. We danced, our bodies pressed together tightly, as he seemed to be thinking about something.

"You okay?" I asked. "You've been quiet all day. I hardly even saw you in the office." I looked around as I waited for his answer. My neck was tingling and I felt like I was being watched, but the only one who made me feel like this wasn't here.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I had some things on my mind. Did you give any thought to our conversation last night?"

I sighed and fidgeted awkwardly. "I don't know, Ram. I was telling you the truth last night, I really am hung up on someone."

"I don't get it. I saw you with Ric and Tank at the party. If you're so hung up on someone, what were you doing with them?" he asked, and I could tell he was unhappy.

The tingling increased and I looked around the club more. I must be losing my mind because I could swear Ric was here.

"I can't really explain it, Ram. I was truthful with you - I am hung up on someone. I think you're a great guy, but I need some time to work through some things before I'm ready for anything. Can you be patient?" I asked.

Before he could answer, I felt two strong arms wrap around from behind me and smelled the unmistakable scent of Bulgari.

"Babe, you look sexy as hell," he growled. "Mind if we cut in now, soldier?"

Ram tensed and stepped away, obviously irritated at the interruption. Tank slid around in front of me, and I was instantly transported back to the dance last weekend. I tensed as I thought about the way I felt after dinner Sunday night.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I snapped, suddenly finding my anger again as I thought back to the last time I saw Ric and Tank. "Did you just come to take advantage of me when I'm on the dance floor? Are we going to my parents' house next so you can propose?"

"We need to talk," Ric replied, and I shook my head no.

"I'm not here to talk. I'm here to dance and have a good time with my friends. Excuse me, I need to leave."

Before I could make a move Ric had picked me up and was walking toward the back of the club with me. He seemed tense and angry and I wondered what was going through his head. He walked through a door and Tank slammed it shut behind him and stood in front of it, in essence trapping me in the room.

"Now you're just going to lock me away?" I screeched. "Are you just trying to ruin my life? You don't want me, but you don't want anyone else to have me either?! I heard it all week from my mom on my voicemail - how I had already run you out of town and couldn't keep a man around. Why are you making my life miserable?" I sobbed.

They both stared at me agape for a minute and then Ric pulled me into his arms.

"Babe, I'm sorry. We should have had this talk sooner. I didn't expect to get called away or we would have. Tank and I do want you, Steph."

I shook my head furiously and tried to move out of his arms, but he just tightened his hold and Tank slid his arms around me from the back.

"Listen, Little Girl. There are some things you don't know about Ric and I. Can you listen to me?"

I turned toward Tank and nodded. I wasn't as angry with him.

"Ric and I have been together for a long time. A few years into our relationship, we met a woman named Alyssa. She was in the same line of work as we were and something just clicked. We both fell for her, and the three of us were together and happy. Then she got sent away on a mission and she never made it back. Ric and I lost the woman we loved, and it damn near killed us. We've never even considered opening ourselves up to a woman again - until now, that is. The moment we met you, we both just knew. We haven't been screwing around with you or toying with you. We want you with us, Steph."

My eyes got huge and my jaw dropped.

"I don't think I understand," I stammered.

"What Tank's saying is that we've both fallen for you, Babe, and we've been trying to let you into our lives to see if there might be a chance of you opening yourself up to us," Ric explained.

"How would that even work?" I wondered aloud.

"A lot like the last couple of weeks have worked. We spend time together, and continue opening our lives up to each other. We both think it would be worth it." Ric reached up and nuzzled into my neck. "What are you thinking, Steph?"

I stood there sandwiched between the two men who had become so important to me over the last couple of weeks, but I couldn't think coherently for anything. I didn't know what to say or think. I felt so confused and conflicted.

"I...I don't know. I need to get out of here. Please don't follow me. I need you to respect my need for space," I whispered. Tears flowed from my eyes as I broke out of their embrace and walked toward the door. I didn't even register what I was doing until I got to the door of the club and felt someone slip their arm around my shoulder.

"You look like you need to be anywhere but here right now, Beautiful. Want some company?" Les asked, and I nodded.

"Please, take me somewhere so I can think."

Les nodded and led me out to his car. I didn't even see the miles passing as Les drove. I was too wrapped up in my own thoughts. Ric and Tank wanted me. They wanted a real relationship with me. And each other. My brain couldn't even comprehend what that would look like.

"We're here, Steph. I thought maybe we'd stay at the beach for the night? I seem to remember you saying Point Pleasant was your happy place."

I nodded gratefully and waited in overwhelmed silence as Les checked us in and we walked to our room.

"Here, they'll be big but it has to be more comfortable than that dress. I keep an extra set of clothes in the truck."

I nodded and made my way to the bathroom. I took care of business and changed clothes and then walked back to the sitting area to find Les sitting on the couch.

"Come here, Beautiful. Tell me what's going through your head," Les urged.

I sat down next to him and laid my head on his shoulder. "Do you know what that was about?" I whispered.

"I do. Ric is my cousin, and the core team has been together forever. Bobby and I are the only ones who know about Alyssa. None of the other guys or Ric or Tank's families know."

"Can you tell me more about when they were with Alyssa?" For some reason I needed to know.

"Sure. They met Alyssa on a mission and from what they say, it was love at first sight. I know you could see the chemistry from a mile away. It's the same way they are with you. I don't think it was even a conscious decision they made to be together; it was just like they weren't complete until she was there. They spent all of their time together when they weren't out in the field, but Ric and Tank never brought her into RangeMan. They weren't sure how the guys would react to them bringing a woman into their relationship, and their lives were so crazy because of their government contracts that it wasn't really an issue. All three of them went on several missions together until she got called out to infiltrate the cartel on her own. Ric and Tank were both uneasy about the assignment, but couldn't go with her. Her cover got blown and she never made it out alive. They were both so distraught over losing her, and it was a long road to getting back to the men you see today. I honestly never thought I would see them open themselves up again, but I knew that first day that I met you that you'd made them reconsider. They're both crazy about you, and it killed them to leave you this week."

I nodded and thought about what he had said. "Do they just want me until they get tired of me?" I asked.

Les tipped my chin up so he could look me in the eyes. "I think you need to talk to them about that in order to really know the answer, but no. I've talked to them both. They want you for the long term - I have no doubt it would be forever."

"How would we hide what we have? I mean, they didn't tell people with Alyssa," I wondered out loud.

"Another good question for them, Beautiful, but they were both showing affection to you during Tank's party so maybe they wouldn't want to hide it."

"I've never felt like I feel when I'm with them." I seem to just be saying everything I think out loud.

"That has to mean something, right?" Les challenged.

"I think I need to sleep on it."

Les nodded and kissed me on the forehead. "Sleep well, Steph."

I walked to the bedroom and laid down in one of the beds. I snuggled under the covers and thought over the night. Ric and Tank wanted a real relationship with me. Was I willing to face the ridicule we would undoubtedly get over being in such an unconventional relationship? I felt like I could do anything with them by my side. Did I have feelings for them or was it only physical attraction? I was definitely physically attracted to them, but I felt incomplete when they were gone this week. It was as though half of me was missing. And I didn't feel anything near what I felt with Ric and Tank when Ram kissed me. There was more to it.

I was scared to really open myself up, but Wonder Woman had to fly, right? I drifted off to sleep with visions of the three of us dancing in my head.


	24. Chapter 24

Tank's POV

"What do we do?" Ric asked quietly after Steph had walked out on us.

"We do what she asked and give her some space to think about things. Les is with her; he'll make sure she's safe and well taken care of." We both wanted to be with her, but this was our chance to show her that we could respect her boundaries and not try to change her.

"I don't like it, but you're right. Let's head home."

It had been one hell of a week. We were both exhausted from the hours we'd pulled consulting and then the rush to get home tonight. We drove back to Haywood in silence and fell into bed, both ready for sleep to overtake us. We'd been up for well over 24 hours at this point and didn't handle it as well as we once did.

I slept soundly until the sound of Ric's phone going off woke us both around 0600. He picked it up and his face lit up like a kid in a candy store when he read the text.

"It's Steph. She and Les ended up at Point Pleasant last night. She asked if we'd come spend the day there with her. She asked us to pack her a bag and bring her swimsuit."

We were both smiling like idiots and shared a kiss before we jumped out of bed to start getting ready.

"This has to be good, right? If she wanted to let us down easy she'd just do it here?" Ric asked while he was getting dressed, and I couldn't help but chuckle. This little white girl from the Burg made him feel unsure.

"I think it probably is, Jefe."

We threw together a change of clothes, our swimsuits, beach towels, sunscreen for Steph, and some other beach supplies and then went down to Steph's apartment and packed her a bag as well. We may have both gotten a little distracted while we perused her collection of lingerie and swimsuits to grab things for her. Holy hell, thinking about her in those would give a man wet dreams!

We were on the road half an hour after after she'd sent the text. We made a quick stop at The Tasty Pastry for two Boston cremes and a coffee for Steph and then hauled ass toward the beach. I think we were both anxious to have this talk.

We arrived at the hotel Les and Steph had stayed at in record time and brought Steph's bag and her breakfast in with us. I'm not sure what I was expecting when she opened the door, but she was smiling and looked happy and well rested, and I felt myself calm at the site.

"Hey, guys. Thanks for coming to spend the day with me," she said as she invited us in.

"Nowhere else we'd rather be, Babe. We brought you breakfast." Ric handed her the donuts and coffee and her eyes glazed over.

"Is this some kind of a trick?" she asked. "I'm supposed to be off sugar."

"Bobby doesn't need to know about this. Consider it a little gift from us to you," Ric replied. Her eyes lit up and she bit into the first donut. She left out a long, soulful moan that I felt all the way down to my toes. Damn, Steph made the sexiest sounds when she ate.

"Where's Les?" I asked after I'd looked around the room.

"I sent him home when you guys said you would come for the day. I thought I could ride back with you if that's okay," she replied sheepishly, and my heart melted a little. I reached out and tucked a curl behind her ear.

"We'll take you anywhere you want to go," I assured her, and her bright smile warmed my heart. I suddenly believed for the first time that this might be good.

"So, I wanted to start by apologizing for being so angry and needing space last night," she began when she'd eaten both donuts and finished her coffee. "I guess I was just really confused by everything. I'd spent all week trying to tell myself that I needed to get over how I felt about you both because it wasn't a possibility, and then I was shocked when you told me that you both want me."

"It's okay, Babe. Like I said last night, we shouldn't have waited so long to express our interest. How are you feeling about things this morning?" Ric asked hopefully.

"I have some questions, actually," she said softly, and we both nodded.

"Go ahead, Mami," I encouraged her.

"First, I need to know what you both want here. Is this a short term thing until you decide you want it to just be the two of you again?"

Ric nodded to me and I answered her. "No, Steph. Ric and I wouldn't pursue this if we weren't both completely certain that it's what we want going forward. We think of our relationship as a committed, lifetime partnership, and we would consider you to be part of that. It's our hope that the three of us would be together from now on."

Her eyes got big and she nodded. "Okay. How would this even work? Les told me a little more last night. I know no one ever knew about Alyssa other than the core team. It seems like it would be hard to hide."

"I'll answer that one, Babe. Neither of us want to hide. We've done that before, and it worked in that instance, but we're both at different places in our lives and would really like to be able to be with you no matter where we are. We do understand, though, that you need to make that decision for yourself when it comes to the community and your family," Ric assured her. We'd discussed this in depth over the past few days and decided we were ready to take a huge risk in order to move forward.

"But...no one in the community even knows about you two being together. I don't meant to sound like a broken record, but how would that work?"

"Ric and I have talked a lot about it, and we would both like our relationship with each other and you to be public. It's important to us that we can all support each other and be together no matter where we are."

Her jaw dropped and she looked so damn cute.

"You're going to come out?" she asked quietly, as though the thought shocked her. Hell, it would probably shock a lot of people.

"Yeah, with you by our side, we would," I assured her. "You're worth it."

"I don't want you to do that just for me!" she protested.

"It would be for all three of us, Babe," Ric quickly corrected her.

"I...uh...I don't even know how the logistics of sex would work," she said with a blush. "I mean, I don't do butt stuff! I've only been with three men in my entire life; I can't possibly live up to your experiences!"

Ric laughed and pulled her into his lap. "It will work however we want it to, Steph. There are many ways we could all pleasure each other. There will be times when we'll all be together and times when it's just two of us. And you never know, with the right men you might just decide that you like butt stuff, but we'll never push you for more than you're comfortable with. If you never want to explore that side of your sexuality, that's okay. If you decide that you do, we'll explore slowly and gently and you can decide when you want to stop. The important part is that the three of us would be together, and you don't ever need to worry about not living up to our expectations," Ric explained.

She looked at us both quietly for a minute and then her face broke out into a smile. "Alright, let's do this."

"Yeah, Mami?" I asked huskily. Little Girl didn't seem like a good nickname for our woman any longer.

"Yeah."

I leaned forward and captured her lips with mine. I'd been giving Ric a hard time about getting to kiss her last weekend and was more than anxious to get to taste her for myself. She was everything that I ever could have hoped for. Her lips were soft and sweet, and when her tongue swept into my mouth I damn near came like a teenage boy.

I pulled her into my lap and she moaned as her hot core settled over my erection when she straddled me. Fuck me, she was amazing. Ric threaded his fingers through mine and began kissing and sucking on her neck.

"Oh god, yes. Mark me as yours, Papi," she moaned when our lips broke apart for a minute.

Ric's eyes grew even darker and he looked like he was about to ignite. He liked that nickname from her. "Everyone will know you're ours, Babe," Ric growled.

"That's what I want," she assured us. Her eyes were glazed over and she looked desperate for us. I'd never seen anything more beautiful in my life.

Ric continued working on her neck and I smiled smugly when I saw the marks already forming. She moved her hips almost frantically, trying desperately to get some friction, so I pulled her down roughly to give her more of what she wanted to feel. She moaned and writhed and then took one of my hands and moved it to her t-shirt covered breast.

"We need to slow down, Mami. I want to savor you. We're not having sex right now," I informed her, and she groaned in frustration.

"Come on, please? I've been in a damn state ever since last weekend. I couldn't get any relief; it's like you two ruined me for anything else. My vibrator batteries didn't last as long as I did, and I couldn't make myself come. Then my shower massager died, and still no orgasm. I can't relax until I get some help here," she begged.

Ric and I exchanged a glance and he nodded at me. "Then let us help you out, Steph. Let us make this all about you, about taking care of our woman, and then we'll enjoy the day together. We can have sex later. This is too important to rush."

Steph's POV

I wanted them more than I'd ever wanted anyone in my life, but I couldn't possibly be upset about them wanting to wait because this was important.

"Okay, I trust you both with my heart and my body," I agreed. And for the first time in my life, I really did. Somehow I'd managed to find two amazing men who I could trust completely. I was one lucky woman!

They both stood up together, and I wrapped my legs around Tank's waist. He carried me to the bedroom and laid me gently on the bed before they both crawled in on either side of me.

"You're so beautiful, Babe. Thank you for trusting us," Ric whispered.

He leaned over and kissed Tank, and I know I moaned out loud. It was beautiful to watch the passion between the two of them. I reached down and pulled their shirts up and they pulled apart and looked at me questioningly.

"I need skin. I'll let you take care of me and I'll be a good girl, but I want to explore a bit too," I begged.

They both pulled their shirts over their heads and threw them into the floor and then Tank helped me sit up while Ric pulled my shirt off. Normally I would be embarrassed and try to cover up, but something about the looks in their eyes and the way they'd treated me so far made me feel completely at ease. I laid back on the bed between them and began running my fingers all over their sexy, bare chests.

"I want to watch you two kiss again," I urged them, and Ric immediately dove for Tank's mouth. I watched as their tongues caressed each other and couldn't help but moan and fidget impatiently. I was a woman on the edge. Ric must have noticed.

"As much as I love kissing Tank, Babe, this is about us taking care of you."

I nodded and my eyes rolled back in my head as Ric's tongue slipped into my mouth and Tank licked my nipple. Holy shit, I had been missing out my entire life. Two men to make me fly! I reached for Tank's neck and pulled his head down further as I arched my back to offer more of myself. He took the hint immediately and enveloped my sensitive breast in his warm mouth as he reached over to roll and tweak my other nipple with his fingers. It's a damn good thing I wasn't wearing any panties right now; they'd be toast for sure. Maybe I'd have to start going commando all the time like they do.

"Mmm...I think our girl likes that, Gordito. I need a taste, too." Ric moved down my body and took my other breast into his mouth and sucked so hard I think I saw stars.

"Oh god. So fucking good," I groaned. "I could come like this." And I really could.

"That sounds like a challenge for us, doesn't it, Ric?" Tank growled. "Such perfect tits, and they're all ours."

Tank dove back in with gusto, and I felt my body coiling tightly. If this was heavy petting, I might pass out from the pure pleasure of sex with the two of them. I reached out and lightly scratched their chests and I heard their aroused growls in response. Ric took my hand in his and reached them over to pinch Tank's nipple, and I thought Tank might come unglued. He thrust his hips against my leg and my mouth went dry. Holy shit, he was huge.

My thoughts were interrupted by two very talented tongues doing unspeakable things to my hardened peaks, and before I knew it I exploded into the mother of all orgasms. Herbie Horsecock didn't stand a chance against these two, and that didn't even involve penetration!

"Glad to hear it, Babe," Ric chuckled and I instantly turned red and tried to bury my head in his chest. "No way, don't hide from us. That was the hottest thing I've ever seen. You feeling better now?"

Hmm...how to answer that? "The thing about me is that my Hungarian hormones make me almost insatiable. Sugar helps keep it in check somewhat, but I hadn't had any sugar in two weeks before those donuts so I'm still in quite a state," I explained. "I'm working from a two week deficit here. This could take a while." I reached down and took each of their free hands and slid them down into the sweats I was still wearing from last night. "I need you to touch me," I begged.

"Fuck, Mami! Are you bare?" Tank asked.

"Why don't you see for yourself?" I challenged.

Tank slid down the bed and slowly pulled my pants off until I laid completely naked in front of them.

"She's bare and dripping, Jefe," Tank groaned.

"Our Babe is such a naughty girl. You should help her with that, Gordito," Ric rasped.

And help me with it he did! He leaned down and licked me with his talented tongue and then sent me soaring over the edge with his mouth and fingers.

"She's so sweet. You need to taste her too," he told Ric as I came down from my high.

He and Ric traded places and Ric sucked and licked while I rode his fingers shamelessly and Tank kissed, caressed, and made love to every part of my body. It was beyond anything I could even comprehend. I screamed my release and then collapsed limply in the bed.

"You're beautiful when you come, Babe. Thank you for sharing that with us," Ric whispered. Their touches turned gentle and loving and I'd never felt so treasured in my life.

"Thank you both. That was...there aren't words," I replied softly. I curled into Tank's chest and felt Ric curl up behind me. They were both so hard and ready. "But what about you two? You need some relief, too."

"We'll be fine, Mami. Jefe and I can wait until later. We just wanted to take care of you," Tank assured me.


	25. Chapter 25

Ric's POV

Steph drifted off to sleep minutes after she curled up between us, and I had to chuckle at the irony of it. Tank and I were trained soldiers who were always aware of our surroundings and could go days without sleep if needed, and our Babe could sleep soundly anywhere. That was okay, though - we would protect her.

"I can't believe she said yes," Tank whispered, and I smiled as I really looked at her curled up in his arms.

"I'm a little surprised myself, honestly. I wasn't sure what exactly was going on with her and Ram. We should probably ask later today so we know what we're walking into when we go back home," I answered.

"About that - how would you feel about staying here with her tonight and going back tomorrow? Les and Bobby can handle things back at the office until then," Tank asked.

"I think that's a great idea. Want to let her sleep for about an hour and then spend some time on the beach with our woman?"

"Our woman? I love the way that sounds coming from your mouth," Tank growled. "But yeah, that sounds like a great plan."

I stood up and stretched. "I'll go downstairs and make arrangements for another night and call Santos to let him know we're staying."

"Like that?" Tank teased looking at the obvious tent in my pants.

"No, I'm going to go to the bathroom and take care of this since she's all curled up in your arms," I shot back with a grin.

"I think I'm getting the better end of this deal," Tank volleyed as he looked down at Steph. I agreed completely.

I emerged from the bathroom after taking care of some pressing business and walked down to the front desk.

"May I help you, sir?" the clerk asked with an appreciative look down my body. If only she knew how very unavailable I was.

"Yes, my girlfriend is in room 332. We'd like to see if we can extend the reservation for tonight as well," I answered. I'm pretty sure that she rolled her eyes when I said girlfriend. She'd probably pass out if I went for the full story and informed her that my boyfriend and girlfriend were in bed together up there.

"I'm sorry, sir, but we're quite full tonight. The only rooms we have available are two king suites with an ocean view. I can check rates for those if you'd like," she offered.

"No need, just put it on my card," I told her as I slid my Amex Black across the desk toward her. Her eyes widened to the size of saucers and she shot me what I'm sure she thought was a seductive look. It wasn't.

"Of course, sir. Is there anything else I can assist you with?" she asked as she typed away and snuck glances at me. "I can get you anything you need." Christ, she was laying it on thick.

"That won't be necessary; I have everything I need in that room." I answered her. And it was true - they were all I needed.

She finished booking the suite for us and then I walked out to the Cayenne to grab mine and Tank's overnight bags. I pulled my phone out and dialed Santos while I was walking.

"What's happening, Primo? You get your woman?" Les asked. I could hear his smug smile over the damn phone.

"Affirmative, it all worked out just how Tank and I hoped that it would. We're going to spend the day on the beach with Steph and then stay here tonight. We'll be back onsite tomorrow afternoon or evening at some point. You and Brown okay to cover?" I asked.

"Of course. Enjoy your time with Steph and Tank," he assured me.

"Thanks, Les. I want to know if anything's being said about Steph after last night."

"I'll be your eyes and ears. Now, get back to your fun."

"10-4," I replied.

I hung up just as I walked back into the room. I dropped our bags in the sitting room and then walked into the bedroom to see Steph still asleep.

"We all set?" Tank asked.

"Yes. They only had two suites available tonight, so we'll need to move to a different room when we get Steph up and out the door. You ready to wake her up?" I asked. Tank nodded his agreement, so I climbed into bed behind her and began kissing her neck as I ran my fingers up and down her arm.

Tank watched me for a minute and then joined in by kissing her nose and running his fingers through her hair. Steph began stretching her body and was practically purring from the attention.

"Mmm...if this is a dream I don't want to wake up," she whispered sleepily as she opened her beautiful blue eyes.

"Not a dream, Mami," Tank chuckled.

"Hot damn, I'm one lucky woman! My...what do I call you guys?" she asked as she wrinkled her nose.

"I love it when you call me Papi, especially in bed," I teased, and she just rolled her eyes at me.

"You know what I mean! Friends? Boyfriends? Lovers?" she pressed.

"You call us yours, because we are," I answered quickly. "But as far as labels, I guess boyfriends works as well as anything. It doesn't really do justice to how committed to you we are, but it's the best I've got right now" I explained.

"Steph, I hate to even bring this up, but I want everyone going into this with reasonable expectations. I want to make sure that you're okay with the fact that this relationship almost definitely won't ever lead to a title of being husband and wife. Ric and I are in this for the long haul, but the law doesn't exactly make allowances for the kind of relationship we'll have together," Tank added.

Steph sat up so she could look at us both at the same time and threaded her fingers into each of our hands. "I'm not your typical woman. I don't dream of getting married and having the whole Cinderella experience. Hell, I've been married once before and it wasn't a good experience. I don't care about the piece of paper; I just need the commitment and support," Steph explained.

"You absolutely have that from both of us," I assured her. "Now, we thought you might like to grab some lunch and spend some time on the beach?"

"That sounds perfect," she answered with a smile.

"Gordito thought it might be nice to spend the night here and go back to Trenton tomorrow. Will that work for you?" I asked her.

She wrinkled her nose up at me again and frowned. "Yeah, that's fine. I just...why do you call Tank Gordito? What does that mean?"

I laughed and ruffled her hair. "Literally, it means chubby, but it's a Spanish term of endearment. We're not really the type to use sappy nicknames with each other, but Gordito and Jefe work perfectly for us."

Steph nodded her understanding and then crawled out of bed and walked to the bathroom. Any embarrassment she had initially felt must have disappeared because she was completely naked and comfortable.

"Our woman is damn sexy," Tank muttered, and I couldn't help but agree.

Tank and I changed into board shorts, tank tops, and sandals while we waited for Steph to emerge from the bathroom. She came out a short time later in a little pair of cut off denim shorts and her black bikini top. She slid her feet into some flip flops and then looked to us.

"You guys ready?" she asked.

I nodded and walked over to her and pulled her into my arms. I kissed her soundly and chuckled when I saw her dazed face when I pulled away.

"You're both far too good at that!" she whined just as her stomach growled.

"Sounds like it's time to feed you," Tank said with a laugh. He joined us at the door and dropped a quick kiss on both of our lips. "I know we're not in Trenton, but there's always a chance we could see someone that we know. How do you want to handle things?"

She looked us both seriously for a minute, almost as though she was talking to herself in her head, and then nodded. "I don't want to flaunt our relationship and be obnoxious about it at home, but I also refuse to hide it. I say we just do what feels natural and answer questions honestly if people ask. I want to be able to touch and kiss you both whenever I want to, and I sure as hell want you to touch me."

I felt pretty damn lucky that we'd found this amazing woman who chose us and wasn't ashamed to let the people around her know, but words failed me so I just kissed her once more. This was going to be a big change for Tank and me as well, but I was more concerned about her. We gathered all of our things with us and dropped them at the concierge for them to take up to our suite when it was ready.

Then we walked out of the hotel toward the boardwalk and her face absolutely lit up as she took in the beach and the ocean. "The beach has always just been my happy place. I feel so peaceful and content here. Thank you for spending the day here with me." She stopped short and turned toward us and then stood on her tiptoes and gave us each a quick kiss. Then she turned back around and tangled her fingers through each of ours. "Where to?"

"There's a great little seafood place a few blocks from here. It's right on the beach. Does that sound okay?" Tank asked.

"Sounds perfect," she agreed with a sly smile on her face. "Gordito."

Tank laughed and reached over and tickled Steph, much to her dismay. "Uncle! I won't call you that anymore!" she squealed.

"Eh, I like it coming from you," he relented. "Just had to give you a hard time."

We walked the short distance to CJ's and were instantly seated at a table on the deck overlooking the ocean. Steph tried to focus on her menu, but seemed to be captivated by the waves rolling in instead.

"You know, if you're hungry, it generally works best to look at the menu and decide what you want to eat," I teased her, and she looked up at me with a wicked grin on her face.

"I see two things I want to eat right now," she smirked as she looked Tank and me up and down hungrily. "As for food, why don't you order for me? Just make sure it's not all healthy!" she added at the last second, and I laughed.

"You've got it, Babe."

She and Tank talked and laughed while I glanced through the menu and did my best to keep her food preferences in mind. I ordered shrimp scampi and some fried calamari for appetizers and then ordered three different seafood platters for entrees, thinking we could just all share them.

"Fried calamari?" she gasped jokingly when the waitress walked away. "What about the temple?!"

"I promise you can worship at this temple anytime you want, Babe, but you'll be shocked to know that I'm not as structured and regimented when I'm taking time away to relax."

She nodded her head and grinned at me. "I need to worship at both of your temples later today. You'd better not be planning to make this "no sex" rule last very long. It would be cruel and unusual punishment to be in bed with you two for very long and not be able to be with you."

"We'll all know when the time is right, but I promise that it won't be long, Mami," Tank informed her. "Ric and I are just as anxious to make love as you are. We just want to make sure that you're comfortable."

"I've always been comfortable with you two. From that very first day we met in the diner, really. It's not like anything I've ever experienced before," she answered softly.

Our appetizers were delivered at that moment, thankfully saving us from anymore deep, emotional conversation. I wanted her to understand how we both felt about her, but this wasn't the time or the place. I didn't think she was ready to hear it either.

Conversation turned light and playful while we ate. Tank and I loved feeding Steph as she talked. Damn straight that "no sex" rule wasn't going to last. If I'd thought her moans were bad before, they were nothing compared to now with us feeding her. The little minx would pull our fingers into her mouth with the bites we were giving her and do things with her tongue that would make any man afraid he was about to explode in his pants.

I breathed a sigh of relief when we finally finished lunch and walked out to the beach. I took care of getting us chairs and an umbrella while Tank and Steph went off in search of the perfect spot. When I walked up to join them, Steph had just shimmied out of her shorts and Tank was starting to rub sunscreen on her luscious body. I could instantly see the hunger in his eyes, and Steph was back to her moaning. Christ, I couldn't wait to hear those sounds when we were making love to her. I sat down in one of the chairs while Tank finished rubbing the lotion into her beautiful skin and watched two of the most important people in my life interact. I knew things wouldn't always be easy, but I was hopeful that the three of us would enjoy a lifetime together. Steph turned toward me and raised an eyebrow at me.

"Am I allowed to sit in your lap after Tank just put sunscreen on me?" she asked with a smile.

"You can sit in my lap whenever you want," I answered with a wolf grin.

She wiggled her ass down in between my legs and then laid back with her head on my chest. Then she reached over, grabbed Tank's hand, and pulled it over to rest on her thigh with their fingers intertwined. "This is the best day of my life," she sighed happily.

"The beach?" I asked.

"That's nice, too. I was referring to getting to be with you two, though," she replied softly.

"Best day of our lives too, Mami," Tank agreed. And it was.


	26. Chapter 26

Steph's POV

I don't think I'd ever had a day as amazing as this had been. From the moment my guys walked in the door of the hotel room everything had just felt so right. I was concerned it might be a bit awkward at first, getting used to being with two men who I cared about, but just having them close put me at ease and made me feel safe. We'd spent hours on the beach and in the ocean, just relaxing and playing. I found myself unable to bear going long without touching one or both of them. It was as though their touch made me feel whole. I really didn't want to think too much on why that was this early in our relationship.

We strolled along the beach toward our hotel. The moon was shining down on the water and the sound of the waves was so soothing. Tank and I were walking with our feet in the water while Ric opted to walk just out of reach of the tide. /span/p

"Can I ask you something, Babe?" Ric asked suddenly.

"Anything," I assured him.

"When I talked to Santos this week he mentioned that you and Ram were getting close. Is there anything going on there?

I knew this was going to come up at some point, but that didn't mean I was excited to have this conversation.

"Most of the week was just spent hanging out as friends. I guess you could say he made a move and asked me out a couple of days ago, but I was so hung up on you guys that I just couldn't really think about it. He kissed me and I caught myself right before I called out your name," I admitted sheepishly.

"I don't know whether to take him to the mats for making a move on you when I specifically told my men you were off limits, or smirk because you almost said my name," Ric replied, and I frowned.

"Wait, what the hell do you mean you told your men I was off limits?" I asked angrily. I stopped walking and looked up at the two men who were looking around sheepishly.

"Mami, Ric just hoped to buy us a few weeks to get to know you. Most of the men are players and take a new girl home several times a week. We didn't want any of them looking at you that way, and we selfishly hoped you might consider us to be an option," Tank explained apologetically.

I looked at their serious expressions and considered that explanation. I guess I could understand their logic. If I was going to be considered a member of the team, they couldn't exactly have the men looking at me as a flavor of the week or easy lay. Our day had been so good...I didn't want to ruin it with an argument, especially since the end result was us getting together.

"I'm going to say this once and then we're going to move on. Please don't make decisions for me. If we're going to be partners, I need to be included in conversations that affect me. If I feel like you're trying to railroad me or make decisions for me, I'll have to reconsider our relationship. This is a partnership."

"Of course, Babe. I'm sorry; I handled it poorly. We're a team, and we'll make decisions together going forward," Ric vowed. I could see in his eyes that he meant what he was saying.

"One more thing - no taking him to the mats over this," I insisted.

Ric looked at me silently for a minute, almost as if he was trying to decide whether or not to fight me on this, and finally nodded. "Alright, Babe. But only for you."

"Thank you. Now...since we had our first almost fight, can we have almost makeup sex?" I asked with a flirty wink.

"Hell yes!" Tank agreed quickly. He swept me up into his arms and took off running toward the hotel with Ric easily keeping up with him. I was laughing the entire way. Life with these two would never be boring.

Tank didn't set me down until we reached our suite. He and Ric both began kissing everywhere they could reach the moment the door closed behind me, and I was instantly turned on beyond belief needing more.

"Bed," I growled as I nipped at Tank's lips, and he instantly complied. He dropped me down onto the bed and followed me, his body covering mine. Tank started kissing his way down my chest as Ric's tongue tangled with mine in the sexiest kiss I'd ever experienced. At some point my swimsuit top got untied and thrown on the floor, but I didn't object one bit. There were still far too many clothes being worn in my opinion. I threaded one hand into Ric's silky dark hair and arched my back into Tank, offering up more of myself for him to take.

"Fuck, Mami. Your tits are perfect," Tank sighed as he went back in to lick and suck them. His mouth was hot and wet and he was driving me out of my mind. Between what he was doing to the girls and Ric's talented tongue exploring my mouth, neck, and shoulders, I was a goner.

"I need to taste you again," Ric whispered against my lips, and I instantly shook my head.

"Not until I get to taste you two first," I insisted sternly. "I want you both naked so I can explore. Now."  
"We're still -" Tank began, but I cut him off.

"Not having sex, I know. Now strip!" I demanded harshly. I'd waited too damn long to enjoy their naked bodies.

They both stood up and kicked off their sandals as they pulled their tank tops over their heads. Then they slid their shorts down and I swear I almost passed out when I saw what they were both packing. Holy shit, I was one lucky woman. Both were exceptionally well-endowed, both in length and girth, and I wanted nothing more than to taste them.

They must have read my mind, because they were instantly back on the bed and stripping me of my cutoffs and bikini bottoms.

I reached down and stroked Ric's beautiful cock with one hand while I used the other to urge Tank toward my mouth. He got the hint quickly and moved so that I could easily take him in. I stroked Tank a few times as well and then licked him from base to tip and enveloped him in my mouth.

"Oh god, Steph," he mumbled when I'd taken all of him I could into my mouth. Ric leaned forward at that moment and kissed Tank, and it was a damn good thing I wasn't wearing panties because they would have caught fire from the heat the two of them were putting off.

"Now it's my turn to play, Babe," Ric growled when they broke apart. Before I could object on the grounds of not getting to enjoy him yet, he was between my legs and sliding his long, talented fingers into my wet folds. I moaned around Tank as Ric's fingers filled me and urged Tank further forward into my mouth.

"I'm trying to hold back, Mami," Tank apologized as his hips thrust involuntarily, and I quickly shook my head. I pulled off of him just long enough to tell him what I wanted.

"Let go and enjoy it. You're not going to hurt me," I assured him. He must have taken what I said to heart because the next moment he was thrusting into my mouth as he cursed incoherently under his breath.

"I can't tell you how much I've wanted this, Babe. Seeing you suck Tank off while I finger your hot little pussy...so fucking sexy."

I screamed my release a few seconds later and swallowed as Tank found his release. He and I both collapsed for a few minutes and Ric caressed us softly. /span/p

"I just need a minute and then it's your turn," I promised him.

"You'd better hurry, or I'll have all the fun," Tank smirked just before he flipped Ric over onto his back and started licking his balls. That was all the motivation I needed to join him.

We finally all curled up, completely sated, a bit later. In the dark of night, surrounded by these two men, I couldn't imagine my life getting any better. As I drifted off to sleep, my last thought was that I hoped I got to fall asleep like this every night for the rest of my life.

"So do we, Babe," Ric whispered tenderly.


	27. Chapter 27

Tank's POV

"You ready, Mami?" I asked as Ric grabbed our bags. All three of us had managed to sleep in this morning and enjoyed laying in bed together until Steph's stomach had driven us from the heavenly sensation of lounging together, talking and touching and kissing. We'd had breakfast delivered and enjoyed a leisurely meal on the balcony before packing our things to leave. Now Steph was standing there looking around sadly.

"Yeah," she answered quietly, but she still looked like she'd lost her best friend.

"What's wrong, Babe?" Ric asked with a frown. I could tell that he was thinking the same thing I was. Was she regretting this already?

"Nothing's wrong, really. I'm just a little sad to be leaving the place where we really started," she confessed with a blush. "I know that sounds silly."

"Not at all," I assured her. "We'll come back here as often as you want."

"And even better things are ahead," Ric promised.

"You're right, let's go home," she finally said with a smile.

Ric opened the door for us and I bent down in front of her. "Hop on."

She took a few running steps and launched herself onto my back with a laugh that made me feel about ten feet tall. We'd just gotten together and I already knew there was nothing better than making her happy. I turned my head and caught her lips in a heated kiss that had her moaning and writhing on my back. I heard the door slam suddenly and then saw Ric start kissing down Steph's shoulder and neck. We finally pulled ourselves free a few minutes later.

"Sorry, I can't get enough," Steph said sheepishly.

Ric tipped her chin up and smiled at her. "Never apologize for that, Babe."

We finally made it out the door, and I put Steph in the center of the bench seat between Ric and I. The back seat just seemed too far away, especially given that we were on our way back to reality.

We spent the drive back talking about hobbies, family, and other easy topics. The closer we got to Trenton, the more tense and quiet Steph got though.

"Are you two sure about coming out? I don't want you to feel like you have to," she suddenly blurted out.

I reached over and pulled her into me, wrapping my arm around her tightly. "Ric and I don't have to; we want to. There's no way in hell that either of us want to have to pretend we're not with you out in public. We never make a decision without thinking through the possible ramifications first, so trust us here."

"Okay," she agreed quietly.

She relaxed and drifted off to sleep with that assurance. I shifted so she could be more comfortable laying against me and turned to Ric.

"How do you want to handle things back at Haywood?" I asked quietly, trying to make sure I didn't wake her.

"We'll address it very briefly in the morning meeting tomorrow. I won't allow anyone to question it and will ensure the crew knows that their discretion and kindness toward Steph is not optional. I won't have anyone giving her a hard time because of this," Ric insisted.

"I agree. I have no problem reminding our men who the bosses are on the mats."

We finished our drive in silence until I woke Steph as we entered Trenton.

"Hey, Mami. We're almost back to Haywood," I whispered as I rubbed her arms and back to help bring her back to consciousness.

"Mmm...ten more minutes," she whined, making Ric and I both start laughing.

"We'll be there in two minutes, Babe," Ric chuckled.

"Don't wanna leave my guys," she mumbled adorably.

"Can we bring you up to seven with us?" Ric asked hopefully.

"Please," she answered while snuggling back in.

"Anything you want," I assured her.

The woman could sleep anywhere so I picked her up gently and carried her up to our apartment with Ranger following behind us with our bags.

"Where do you want to go, Mami?" I asked softly as we entered the apartment.

"Can we cuddle please?" she asked, and there was no way I could deny her.

I laid her in the bed and crawled in next to her. Before I could even reach for her, she'd burrowed into my chest and slid her hands under my shirt so she could rub my back. She must have been slowly coming back to the land of the living because she began kissing my neck as her hands worked my shirt up. She pulled away just long enough to pull my shirt over my head and then went back to driving me crazy with her sweet lips all over my chest. She was making these cute little mewing sounds of happiness that drove me wild as she kissed me. Ric was a damn fool for being concerned about putting things away right now.

The next thing I knew Steph had thrown one of her long legs over my hip and was grinding herself against my hard dick while she continued showering my chest with kisses. I couldn't help but slide my hands under her skirt and pull her flush against me. I could feel how hot and wet she was and it was making me hard as a rock.

"So fucking sexy," Ranger growled as he peeled his shirt off and threw it in the floor. He laid down behind Steph and instantly began kissing and nibbling on her neck and shoulder. His fingers worked the buttons of her top open to reveal her gorgeous tits and he wasted no time in massaging them, making her buck and moan even louder.

"I need more," she begged. I moved her soaked thong to the side and slid two fingers into her hot pussy.

"Is that what you need, Mami?"

"God yes, Gordito. Please!"

She rode my fingers like her life depended on it while Ranger continued to drive her crazy with his fingers and mouth.

"Do you trust me, Babe?" he asked.

"Completely," she answered without hesitation.

"Then relax and know that I won't do anything that won't feel good," Ric answered. He reached behind him, dug something out of the nightstand and then turned back around and began kissing her neck again. "Just relax and let go," he whispered.

He moved his hand down to Steph's luscious ass and began massaging softly at first. Steph tensed for a moment but then seemed to relax. I scooted down to suck her nipple into my mouth just as Ric pressed his finger forward to penetrate her gently.

"Oh!" she moaned. "Oh god. Oh god. I need...I need…"

"You need what, Mami?" I growled.

"I need more! Please!"

Ric slid his finger deeper into her ass and I reached down and pinched her clit. She flew over the edge and I'd never seen anything more beautiful in my life.

"You're gorgeous when you cum," I whispered as she came down from her high.

"You two are amazing," she muttered. "You've definitely ruined me for all other men."

"Good to know, Babe," Ric chuckled.

"Mmm...now it's my turn to ruin you two."

Steph kissed me as she worked my shorts off and then turned and kissed Ric into a daze. When we were both naked she sat up and looked at us seriously.

"I want this. I need to feel you both inside me."

Ric and I exchanged a look and then he nodded at her. "As long as you're sure you won't regret it."

"I could never regret having sex with you two," she assured him.

"Okay then," I agreed with her. She looked at us both for a minute and I could see the wheels turning in her head. "Something wrong?" I asked her.

"No! It's just...well, how does this work? How do I know who gets to go first?" she asked with a blush.

"You're so cute when you blush, Babe. Just relax and do whatever feels right. We'll both get to enjoy being inside of you so it doesn't matter who's first," Ric reassured her.

I took her hand in mine and reached over so we could stroke Ric's hard dick together. That must have put her at ease because it was as though someone had unleashed a beast. She leaned forward and nibbled on Ric's nipples while she stroked us both. I wasn't going to last long if she didn't quit for a minute, so I grabbed her hips and set her on top of Ric. She was soaking wet and more than ready so I shifted her hips to the right angle and then slid her down onto Ric's shaft.

"Oh fuck," she moaned out. I knew all too well how good it felt to be filled up by Ric.

"That's it, Mami," I encouraged her. "Ride El Jefe for me."

She slid up and down Ric's dick, her moans getting louder and louder. I slid behind her and positioned my hard length to rub against her ass while I rolled and pinched her nipples.

"Yeah, Babe. You feel so damn good," Ric groaned. "It's been too long since I've been with a woman; I'm not going to last."

"Just let go, Papi. We have all night to enjoy each other more."

That must have been just what Ric needed to hear because he grabbed her hips and slammed up into her several times, causing Steph to scream out as she came, before roaring his release. She collapsed onto Ric's chest for a few minutes and then rolled off of him onto her back.

"Mmm...I need you now," she practically purred, and I didn't need to be told twice. I moved on top of her and buried my dick inside her hot core. I set a punishing pace, sliding almost fully out of her and then thrusting back in. I was so lost in how good she felt that I didn't know Ric had moved until I felt him at my back.

"Can we share Gordito, Babe?" he asked, and all Steph could do was nod enthusiastically.

Ric stilled my hips for a moment and spread some lube and then slid into me. Christ, this has to be what heaven is.

"Mmm...yeah, that's it," Ric growled. He pulled back and thrust into me, setting my hips back into motion. The combination of Ric pounding into me and being inside Steph had me on edge instantly. I reached down and rubbed Steph's clit hoping to take her with me as I went over the edge. Only minutes later I came with a roar with Steph following me over. Ric thrust into me a few more times and spilled inside me before we all collapsed into a heap and curled up together. Holy hell, I was one lucky son of a bitch.


	28. Chapter 28

Steph's POV

I slowly stirred to consciousness the next morning as I felt Ric and Tank kissing and caressing my skin softly. I couldn't help the smile that lit up my face as I felt the pleasant soreness in muscles that hadn't been used in far too long. I opened my eyes just in time to see Ric and Tank kissing each other and I couldn't help the moan that escaped my lips. It was so damn hot.

Ric broke his lips away from Tank's and smiled down at me. "Morning, Babe." He leaned down and kissed me and then pushed back up on his elbows.

"Don't let me interrupt you two - I was enjoying the show," I said with a blush. What can I say? I was born and raised in the Burg - the guilt capital of the world!

Tank dove down to capture my lips and then returned to Ric's mouth. Their tongues tangled, both fighting for dominance, and my hands reached down and began stroking them both without any conscious thought.

"Does it turn you on to see us together, Mami?" Tank growled, and I nodded.

"Someday I want to really watch while you two do it. And I want to experiment more with butt stuff. That felt amazing," I blurted out without thinking. I instantly turned as red as a tomato.

Ric growled deep in his throat and stood up off the bed. "I can promise those will both happen, Babe. For now, though, we're going to show you how good we are in the shower."

He bent and scooped me up in his arms and for the next hour I'm pretty sure the three of us made more steam than the hot water in the shower did. All I can say is that I'm one lucky woman.

The guys got dressed in their full badass gear while I threw on some clothes from the bag they'd packed for me, and we had a quick breakfast together before going our separate ways for the day.

"Will you have dinner with us tonight, Mami?" Tank asked as we were walking to the door.

"Just try to stop me!" I joked.

"Wouldn't dream of it, Babe," Ric piped up. "We're going to inform our men very briefly of our relationship status in the morning meeting. You're welcome there, or you can skip it this morning if that makes you feel more comfortable."

"Thanks," I replied simply. I wasn't sure whether or not I wanted to be there.

The guys each laid one hell of a kiss on me and then pulled me to the elevator while I was trying to remember my name. What can I say?! They are pure magic! After hitting the button for four and putting me on the elevator, they both hit the stairs to head to the control floor. I was in my own little world when the elevator door opened and didn't even see Ram coming out of his apartment as I passed.

"Hey," he said quietly as he reached out and grabbed my arm. I turned to look at him.

"Hey, Ram," I answered quietly. I desperately didn't want to be the one who told him about my new relationship status. It wasn't that I didn't want him to know; I just didn't want to be the first one to tell him. Just call me a coward.

"You heading to your apartment?" he asked, and I nodded. "I'll come with so we can catch up." It wasn't a question; it was a statement that made me feel as though I had no say in the matter. He was still holding onto my arm as we walked down the hall and I wished like crazy that I'd gotten ready up on seven with the guys.

We walked into my apartment and I shook him free. I walked into my bedroom and started to shut the door behind me. "I have to change," I said in a firm voice as I shut the door and locked it.

I changed into my cargo pants and a black tank and then heard Ram knock at the door. "Steph? Can I come in so we can talk?" he asked, and I sighed. I'd never felt uncomfortable around Ram before and was unsure why I did now. I went back and forth for a minute and calmed myself down. This one one of the guys; I didn't need to feel uneasy.

I opened the door and walked toward the bathroom. " I need to get ready but you can come keep me company," I offered as I walked toward the bathroom. He followed right on my heels and leaned against the bathroom counter with his arms crossed his broad chest as he looked at me intensely. I knew the minute he saw the hickeys and marks from the weekend; I could sense the change in his mood.

"You look like you had a busy weekend," he spit out as though the words were a vile taste in his mouth.

"It was actually quite relaxing," I answered evasively.

"I wouldn't have expected you to become one of Santos's fuck buddies," he practically yelled. The only sounds after that were him stomping out of my bedroom and my front door slamming. That didn't go well at all.

Ram's POV

Fucking Santos! He knew that I had a thing for Steph and he moved in anyway! I ran up the stairs two at a time and slammed through the door onto the control room floor. I saw him standing there talking to Ranger and Tank with a smug look on his face and my blood boiled.

"She was a wildcat in bed. Almost made me rethink sneaking out in the middle of the night," I heard him say as I approached the three of them, and I just snapped. I lunged at him and threw him against the wall.

"You fucking asshole! You knew I'd called dibs on her and you fucked her anyway! You had to make her one of your fuck buddies!"

I suddenly found myself being pulled off of Les and forcibly restrained by Tank.

Ranger's voice was deathly quiet as he got right in my face. "You will never speak of Steph that way again. Now sit your ass in the conference room for the morning meeting and shut up!" he commanded.

Tank manhandled me into the conference room and I threw myself into a chair. Santos wisely chose to sit across the room from me. I scowled all the way through the sit rep, silently plotting what I could do to salvage things with Steph since Santos would certainly ditch her now. I could still work this to my advantage. I was pulled from my thoughts by Ranger barking out a command for my attention.

"You might want to actually pay attention here, Ramsey," he practically growled. "There's one additional item before we leave this room. As you all know, Tank and I have been together for a long time. After much conversation and time together, Steph has become part of that relationship. The details of our private lives are not up for discussion. Our orders regarding Steph have not changed; we expect you to continue to train and protect her. We will not tolerate any disrespect toward Steph or her choice to be with us. Anyone who disrespects her will meet us on the mats." He gave me a look meant to intimidate me, but it didn't work.

"Also, we feel it wise to let you know that at some point in the near future, our relationship will be public. We wanted you all to know before it you hear it on the streets," Tank added. "You're dismissed."

I shoved my chair back and stormed out of the room. I needed to get the hell out of there.


	29. Chapter 29

Steph's

I was feeling a bit off balance after Ram's short but tense visit to my apartment, but I felt my entire body relax as I stepped onto the control room floor. I could sense anytime Ranger was nearby, and I knew Tank was going to be in the office this morning as well. Just knowing that they were near calmed my nerves. I'd need to think about why they were so frazzled after my brief encounter with Ram. He didn't seem to be the same Ram who I'd spent so much time with, but I wasn't known for my affinity for living in denial land for nothing. I couldn't make myself think on that any longer.

I walked toward my office just as Ric and Tank walked out of the conference room. Damn, they were gorgeous. I smiled as I neared the. Tank reached out and grabbed my hand to pull me to stand in front of him and then wrapped his arms around me. Ric turned to face me and threaded his fingers through mine.

"We just told the men, Babe. Let one of us know immediately if you hear anything negative or get any flack; it won't be tolerated. Ram looked a little upset and stormed out," he said concerned. He was watching my face closely for my reaction.

"Yeah, he snagged me on my way to my apartment to change this morning. He saw the love bites and took off stomping out of my apartment. He wasn't acting like himself," I confessed.

"Ric pulled me into his office and Tank shut the door behind us. They both looked like anger was bubbling under the surface.

"Did he say anything we need to know about, Babe?" Ric asked. I really didn't want to start any trouble, but I knew I couldn't lie to my guys.

"He just said he hadn't expected me to become one of Santos's bed buddies and stormed out," I whispered, unable to make eye contact.

Tank tipped my chin up to look at his very serious eyes. "Why are you embarrassed about this? Are you afraid of what people are saying about you being with us?" he asked me. I could see the fear in his eyes, and it was mirrored in Ric's.

"No, absolutely not!" I assured them quickly. "I don't really care about what people say about us; I just feel bad that I'm causing trouble for you."

"You're no trouble, Mami," Tank insisted. "Ram needs to get his shit together. He came up here and threw himself at Santos; I guess he assumed since you left the club with Les that you were with him all weekend. He was in the meeting and heard what we told all the men. He stormed out quickly; let him be for now. I would prefer you're not alone with him until we've ensured he's under control. He's dealt with PTSD in the recent past, and I don't want to take any chances."

I nodded my agreement. "Thanks. I need to go check on Les and make sure he's okay, too. I'm tempted to take Ram to the mats myself for hurting my friend," I rambled. Ric laughed and pulled me up for a searing kiss that left me wanting more.

"He's fine, Babe, but go check on him. Tank and I should both be onsite today, but we'll let you know if we leave. I would appreciate it if you would do the same for us," said Ric.

"Of course," I agreed. I wasn't planning to go anywhere anyway, and it seemed like a reasonable request.

"We'll see you for dinner tonight," Tank reminded me as he opened the door. They each laid a kiss on me and sent me off down the hall to find Les. I didn't have to look far, as he was standing in the hall near the conference room talking with Bobby.

"Hey there, Beautiful. Did you have a nice weekend?" he asked with an eyebrow waggle, and I'm certain I turned bright red.

"It was perfect," I replied, trying me best not to look any more embarrassed than I already did. "Hey, I'm sorry about Ram this morning. Are you okay?" I asked.

Les reached out and pulled me in for a hug. "I'm fine, I promise. He just surprised me, but I'm not hurt."

"What happened with Ram?" Bobby asked, and I winced at having to go through it again. Les mercifully saved me.

"It looks like he thought Steph had spent the weekend with me since she left the club with me. Little did he know that I was talking to Ranger and Tank about the woman I went out with last night. I'm guessing he thought I was responsible for these," he teased as he reached out and ran a finger down the hickey on my neck.

"In your dreams, Santos!" I replied with a laugh.

"Every night, baby," he leered, and I just rolled my eyes. Leave is to Les to make me go from concerned to laughing in just a few minutes. "But in all seriousness, I'm happy for the three of you. I think you'll be good for them," he added softly.

"He's right, Steph. They already seem happier and more relaxed in the office just this morning," Bobby added.

"Thanks, guys. I think I'm the lucky one here, though. Whatever I may have to offer them, they're way better for me than I am for them," I gave my opinion.

"You just don't know how special you are, do you?" Les asked softly. "Any one of us would have been lucky to have been chosen by you, Beautiful. I can guarantee that we would have been lined up to win your heart if Ranger hadn't made it known your first day that you were off limits."

I blushed and tried to shy away from the conversation, but Bobby moved his hand to my shoulder to hold me in place gently. "He's right. Those two idiots are lucky, lucky men. We're all happy for you," Bobby assured me.

"Not everyone," I said as I cut my eyes over to Ram's empty cube.

"Give him time and he'll come around, or if he doesn't get himself together and figure out how to be nice, Bobby and I will have a little talk with him and remind him how to treat a lady friend," Les said seriously. And somehow, that made me feel like everything was going to be okay.


	30. Chapter 30

Ram's POV

I stormed out of the building and into my personal car. I didn't want to be tracked by the guys in the control room right now. I drove across town to the house I had purchased a few months ago and haven't told anyone about. Today seemed like a good time to get drunk. I cracked open a cold beer and started up my laptop. I opened the password encrypted folder I had saved pictures to over the last few weeks and scrolled through the pictures of Stephanie. I had snapped most of them without her knowing - in the office, out to dinner, her sleeping in her bed, that sexy dress from the distraction. Then there were the ones that I'd managed to lift from the security cameras at the office without anyone catching on. I had hidden my obsession well.

I finished my beer and walked to the kitchen for something stronger. There was a new bottle of Jack Daniels and I tore the lid off and chugged until my throat burned and my eyes watered. I took a few more swigs on the way to my bedroom and sat the bottle down next to the bed. I looked at the pictures of Steph laying on my bed and picked up a pair of her panties that I had taken from her apartment while I watched her sleep. Ranger and Tank were just an obstacle to overcome; I would make her see that we were meant for each other.

I pulled out a picture of my angel sleeping in her bed, unaware that I was watching her that night. Her shirt had pulled up giving me a great view of her body. I remembered that night and decided that I needed a repeat performance. I unzipped my pants, like I had done that night in her bedroom, and wrapped her panties around my cock. I stroked furiously, desperate for a physical release to ease the pain I was feeling, and groaned as I finally came in her panties. That would have to do until I could find a way to get her away from the bosses and into my newly-finished basement. I was so close before they came back. She should have been here with me Friday night.

I finished off the bottle of Jack and zipped my pants back up. I needed more to drink but there was nothing else in the house. I grabbed my keys and stumbled out to my car to drive to the liquor store. I had only made it a few blocks down the road when red and blue lights flashed in my rear view mirror. I switched to the right lane so the cop could pass and kept driving but the car just kept following me. Why the hell would they pull me over?

After a few miles I pulled over onto the shoulder and leaned my head back on the headrest. I had just closed my eyes when I heard an annoying rapping on my window. I sat up to see Detective Morelli shining his Maglight in my window. I hit the button to roll it down and tried to look calm.

"Can I help you, Detective?" I asked.

"Mind telling me how much you've had to drink tonight, Ramsey?" he asked, and I pulled my blank face on.

"Is there a problem?" I wasn't in the mood for this bullshit. I had plans to make.

"Well, you kept weaving and crossing the center line and I smell alcohol. Step out of the vehicle," he ordered. Fuck. This wasn't part of the plan.

"I'm fine," I assured him. "Just got some bad news."

"Come on, Ramsey. You gonna submit to a field sobriety test or do I just need to haul you in?"

I stepped out of the car and stumbled as my feet hit the ground. The next thing I knew the detective had me cuffed in the back of his car.

"What the hell's going on?" I ground out when I opened my eyes again. "Why am I cuffed?!"

"Settle down, man. You blacked out. You know I have to take you in now. You okay? This isn't like one of Manoso's guys," Morelli asked.

"Just fucking peachy. Manoso and Tank stole my woman but I'll make her see that she's mine," I replied as I fought to stay conscious again.

"Who's your woman?"

"Stephanie Plum."

Joe's POV

Ramsey was obviously drunk off his ass. His swerving and the smell of alcohol were my first clues, but that statement also made it clear. Manoso and Tank stole my Cupcake from him? I couldn't see that at all. She'd never hold their attention.

I unsnapped my cell from my pocket and dialed RangeMan's headquarters and informed the man on the other end of the phone that I was taking Ramsey in for DUI. Manoso may be a thug, but I figured he deserved to know what was going on with one of his men.

I called a tow truck to impound Ramsey's car and then headed off toward the station to book Ramsey on charges of DUI. Manoso was waiting when I walked into the station and I walked over to him after booking Ram.

"I'm not letting him off for this," I barked when I came to rest next to him.

"I would hope not. He deserves whatever he has coming. I will ask you to release him to me when he dries out or can post bail; we'll ensure that he realizes the error of his ways. We don't allow this kind of bullshit from someone who represents RangeMan."

I expected that; Manoso ran a very tight ship. "He must be really fucked up, because he seemed to think that you and Tank had stolen Steph from him," I snorted at that thought.

"What's so funny about that?"Manoso asked me as he leveled me with a glare that would make some men piss their pants.

"What the hell would one of you want with Steph?" I asked. It was almost laughable. She was a walking disaster.

"Pretty rich coming from the man who wants her," Manoso smirked. "As one of the two men who has her, though, I can assure you that we're very happy. Tank and I didn't realize what we were missing."

My jaw dropped and I stuttered. "You and Tank are…" I trailed off.

"In a long-term, committed partnership that Steph is now part of," Manoso replied as he pushed off the wall and walked out of the precinct. What the hell?!


	31. Chapter 31

Steph's POV

I woke up Tuesday morning alone and was confused for a minute. Ric had gotten a call that seemed to immediately put him on edge last night after dinner. He and Tank had a quick, heated conversation in Spanish and then he had kissed us both and walked out the door. He still hadn't returned by the time I fell asleep on the couch with my head in Tank's lap while we were watching television. I guess Tank had carried me to their bedroom.

I looked over to the alarm clock and snatched up the piece of paper that was blocking the readout. I forced my eyes to focus on the messy crawl and sighed when I read it.

 _Mami, Ric and I had some business to tend to early this morning. We may be out of the building most of the day, but we'd love to hear from you. Text us when you can. –T_

My gut was telling me that something was going on that affected me, and I was getting annoyed that I seemed to be intentionally left in the dark. I got up and threw on yesterday's clothes before once again making the walk of shame down to the fourth floor. Fortunately, Ram was nowhere to be seen as I snuck into my apartment. I'm sure the guys on monitors were getting an eyeful of my crazy hair, smudged mascara, and wrinkled clothes. I either needed to spend tonight in my own apartment or take clothes for tomorrow morning up with me.

I showered, shaved, and dressed and then grabbed my phone off the charger. I had four missed calls from when I was in the shower and hit the button to dial my voicemail as I laced my boots up.

 _You have four new messages. Message one._

 _"_ _Hey there, Cupcake. I heard the most interesting thing from Manoso last night. Just how many of his guys are getting a piece of my sweet and creamy Cupcake?"_

I just…what?!

 _Message two._

 _"_ _This isn't over, Stephanie. You'll soon see that we're meant to be together. I had it all planned out, but it will have to wait a few days now. I'll come for you, though, and we'll start our lives together. All will be forgiven after you accept your punishment for being unfaithful. After you and I are together I'll take care of getting Ranger and Tank out of the way for good."_

I shivered at the sound of Ram's voice and took a deep breath as I heard another voice in the background telling him that his time was up.

 _Message three._

 _"_ _Steph, it's Mary Lou. I just wanted to check on you. Are you okay? Your mom is on a bender this morning and called me trying to get the scoop. I'm not really sure what she's talking about, but I'm worried about you. Please call me just to let me know you're okay; we don't have to talk about anything that you don't want to talk about."_

At least someone cared about me instead of getting the good gossip.

 _Message four._

 _"_ _Stephanie Michelle Plum! This is your mother. What's this I hear from Joseph about you being with two men? And your bosses at that! It's just not proper! Why me?! Stacy Lipinski's daughter settled down and married ONE nice man. Is that really asking too much? You'll straighten this out, young lady, and you'll be at dinner tonight to have a nice, civil dinner with your family and Joseph and agree to a time for the two of you to go on a date!"_

Tears streamed down my face as I thought through what I just heard. Obviously word had somehow gotten out in town about me being with Tank and Ranger; I just wasn't sure exactly what had been said or who had done the talking. Those messages made me think that whatever was said hadn't exactly been complimentary or respectful, though. Anything that brought on the messages from Joe, Ram, and my mother couldn't be good.

I looked at my watch and sighed. I was due up on the control room floor soon, but I just couldn't. I know Les and Bobby had been supportive, but I couldn't face the other guys and their possible judgement. I slipped my driver's license and cash into my back pocket and grabbed my keys, electing to leave everything else because I didn't want to be found. I just needed some time to myself.

I left my apartment and walked as quickly as possible to the stairs, taking care to avoid everyone. One look would tell them that I was crying and I didn't want any questions. I let out a relieved breath when I stepped out of the garage onto the street. I walked two blocks to a convenience store and slid a quarter into the pay phone. I waited for an answer and then spoke quickly.

"Mary Lou? It's me. Can you come get me, please? I just need to get out of here, and if I take my car I'll be tracked."

"Of course. Are you okay?"

"Physically I'm fine. I'm at the corner of Third and Haywood," I told her.

"I'll be there in a few."

I walked into the convenience store after I hung up the pay phone and went straight to the freezer section. I grabbed two pints of Ben & Jerry's and then headed over to the Tasty Cakes. I added some of my favorite guilt-free cakes and by the time I paid Mary Lou was waiting outside for me. I walked out and got into her minivan quickly and breathed a sigh of relief as we got further from Rangeman.

Mary Lou knew me well and let me stay quiet in my own thoughts while she drove to her house. She knew that I would need some time to collect myself. By the time we sat down at her kitchen table with cups of coffee and Tasty Cakes I was ready to talk.

"Thank you for coming to get me," I said quietly.

"Of course, Steph. You know I'll always be there no matter what you need," she assured me. "Are you alright?"

"I'm not sure, honestly. My bosses that I'd told you about?" I asked, and she nodded. "They told me this weekend that they wanted a relationship with me, as in the three of us. I thought about it overnight and told them yes, and the next couple of days were great."

"What's on your mind?" she asked, never batting an eye at the fact that I'd just told her about my very un-Burg relationship.

"Ric got a phone call yesterday evening and seemed upset. He said something to Tank in Spanish and disappeared. Then this morning I had messages from Joe and my mom saying some rather disparaging things. I just get the feeling that people are saying things behind my back and Ric and Tank are keeping things from me. I want to be in this relationship and I don't care what the Burg says, but I can't handle the secrecy." I played those two voicemails, intentionally skipping Ram's and Mary Lou's messages.

"Steph, sweetie," she said after the last message finished, "you know that I love you and I'm always in your corner, but those messages don't necessarily mean your guys have done anything to hurt you. You know how people in the Burg are. It sounds like maybe Joe got wind of it somehow and talked to your mom."

"I guess that's possible," I admitted.

"And based on what you've told me about them, I bet they're worried sick about you," she added. "Don't you think you should call them?"

I shook my head. "Not yet. I just need some time to think by myself first," I argued.

"I think you're going to have two frantic men looking for you, but you know that my house is always open to you," she finally relented.

This wasn't the first time I had flopped down on Mary Lou's bed in my thinking position. I meant what I told Lou. I didn't give a damn what the Burg said about us. I had only laid there for a few minutes when I sighed and got up. She was right; I was jumping to conclusions without reason.


	32. Chapter 32

Tank's POV

It took every bit of self-control I had to stay in the apartment with Steph last night when Ric had gotten the call about Ram being hauled in for DUI. I wanted to go with Ric to knock some sense into Ramsey, but instead I'd held our girl until she fell asleep and then carried her to our bed. He and I had shared some tense words before he left; I felt like we should tell her what was going on, but he wanted to wait until we knew more about the situation so that we could give her facts instead of conjecture. He argued that Ram's behavior might not even have anything to do with her. He won out, but I still wasn't happy about it.

We had both gotten up early this morning and managed to get ready for the day without waking Steph. I left her a note, not wanting her to wake up alone and not know where we were, and then we headed down to the conference room for a meeting to brief the core team on the situation. Ric had ordered Hector to sneak into the impound lot to plant trackers on Ram's personal vehicle and then we drove to TPD to pick Ram up since he had sobered up enough to be released. He looked none-too-pleased to see us and bristled when he approached.

"You ready, Ramsey?" Ric barked. Ram didn't answer; he just started walking toward the doors. This wasn't going to go well. Ric caught up with Ram and steered him toward the company Explorer we had driven to the station. "You want to tell me what the hell last night was about?"

"Sir, no sir," Ram answered tersely.

"I can wait you out. Impound lot now or later?"

"Later, sir," Ram spit out.

We all got in the car and rode to Rangeman in silence. We pulled into the garage and just before Ram could exit the vehicle Ric spoke.

"You're being placed on administrative leave without pay pending resolution of the charges against you and determination of whether or not you need to go to rehab. You will meet me on the mats at 1000 hours today. If you are caught so much as holding alcohol until you've been cleared, you will be out a job. Do I make myself clear?" Ric barked. I could see Ram's body tense with each word Ric had taken.

"Crystal clear, sir," he said before slamming through the door to the stairs and disappearing from our sight.

"Do you think this is all over Steph?" I asked Ric.

"I suspect it may be a manifestation of his PTSD. We need to keep eyes on Steph when Ram is around or when she leaves the building until we get a better read on what's going on with Ramsey," he planned.

"I agree. Her SUV is here so she should be in the building," I added.

We walked up the stairs to the fifth floor and quickly called the core team to the conference room to discuss Ram's condition further.

"How's Steph been this morning?" I asked after we'd briefed them on the morning.

"I saw her come down from seven earlier when I was walking by the monitors, but I haven't seen her since," Les informed us.

"Her trackers still show her here," Ric said after pushing a few buttons on the computer in front of him.

"It's been a long few days; I'm sure she just needed some more rest," said Bobby.

"You're probably right. I have to meet Ram on the mats in fifteen minutes; we'll check on her after that," Ric replied.

Fifteen minutes later, Ram and Ric were standing barefoot and weaponless in the center of the mats and a crowd of our men had gathered around to observe.

"Do you know why you've been called to the mats?" Ric asked Ram.

"Spare me the lecture and let's get this over with," Ram growled, and Ric pounced. In one smooth move that Ram never saw coming, Ric had him pinned underneath him on the mats with no way to escape.

"You'll do well to remember that your insubordination and disregard for expectations of conduct will get you nowhere here, Ramsey," Ric barked. "You're a good soldier with a spotless record. What happened?"

"I understand that I've been called to the mats due to my behavior yesterday evening, sir," Ram spit out.

"Good. Now let's get on with this," Ric ordered. He stood and offered Ram a hand to help him up, but Ram stubbornly refused and stared Ric down as he stood up and got back into position. Ram advanced on Ric and threw the first punch, but Ric easily blocked it and countered with a hard punch to Ram's ribs. Ram didn't let it stop him and continued throwing punches and kicks but didn't land many successfully. Ric, on the other hand, was doing some major damage. Suddenly it was like something snapped in Ram, though, and he flew at Ric in a rage.

"You fucking stole her from me! Everything was going perfectly according to my plan, but you two had to come back and take her away! She was supposed to be mine!" he yelled as he threw ineffective punches.

"That's enough! Brown!" Ric snapped, and Bobby climbed into the ring. Ric immobilized Ram with a hold and Bobby injected him with a sedative. I stepped in and threw Ram over my shoulder and headed off toward Bobby's medical suite for observation and to be patched up. He was obviously far worse than we realized and needed mental health assistance as well.

Ric met me in the hall and I could instantly tell he wasn't holding up as well as he would like to be. I put my left hand on his neck and massaged it gently. "You okay?" I asked quietly.

"Not really. I'm very concerned for Steph's safety right now. We need to talk with her now that we know the situation," he said.

I grabbed my phone off my belt and called the control room to see if she had come up. They still hadn't seen her and said her trackers still showed her to be in her apartment. Ric and I took the stairs up to four and knocked on her apartment door. After waiting a couple of minutes for her to answer and trying her cell phone as well I finally pulled out my fob and used my override to unlock the door.

The apartment was dark and silent when we walked in and I instantly knew that she wasn't there. Her purse, cell phone, and gun were sitting on the bar in the kitchen and there wasn't anything to give us a clue as to where she might be. My head knew that Ram was out cold in Bobby's exam room, but my heart was terrified thinking about where she might be.

Ric grabbed his phone off his belt and pressed a button. "Sweep every floor for Stephanie and report back immediately!" he barked.


	33. Chapter 33

Ric's POV

I've been in some scary ass situations, but nothing compares to the panic and fear that I'm feeling right now. I tore out of Steph's apartment and began going door-to-door to check the other apartments. I know that Ram is in the medical suite, but I wouldn't relax until Steph was back in my arms. I had no sense of time until I finally heard Les yell at me from down the hall.

"She was just spotted walking into the garage, boss. Cal's bringing her up in the elevator now."

I stared at Les for a long minute, willing my brain to understand what he was saying, and then collapsed onto the floor and scrubbed my hands over my face. That moment of worry, of not knowing that Steph was safe, had taken me back to how I felt when we lost Alyssa.

"Everyone back to work!" Tank barked as he approached me. He knew that I wouldn't want my men to see me like this. The elevator dinged and I looked up to see Steph step off tentatively. Her eyes got wide when she saw me and she ran down the hall and knelt in front of me.

"Are you okay?" she whispered. "What happened?" She had no idea why I was so upset.

"I was scared, Babe. Where the hell were you?" I breathed out as I pulled her to me. I just needed to feel her in my arms to know she was safe.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," she sobbed against me. "I was stupid. I had these voicemails this morning and I just…I didn't handle it well."

Tank knelt down next to us and wrapped us both in his arms. My world was right here.

"Why, Steph?" Tank asked.

"There wasn't a good reason why," she sniffled. "I got upset feeling like I was causing problems for you both and like you were keeping things from me, but instead of talking about it I acted like an idiot. Please forgive me." She was hiccupping and shaking in my arms.

"Come on, let's take this to your apartment," Tank said. He helped us both up and we walked down the hall to the privacy of her place. We walked over to the couch and I pulled her into my lap when I sat down. Tank sat right next to me and pulled her legs into his lap, needing the contact just as much as I did.

"You scared the shit out of me. Why did you leave without your trackers and gun? And where were you?" I asked once we were all situated.

Steph pulled her phone out of her pocket and dialed her voicemail before putting it on speaker. I tensed as I listened to the messages from Morelli, Ram, and Mrs. Plum. After the final one played she clicked it off and tossed it onto the coffee table.

"I'm sorry. I heard all of those and I felt like I was making problems for you and like you were keeping things from me. I knew it would blow up when it came out, and I really don't care what anyone thinks. I handled it really badly. I need to know, though…were you hiding something from me last night? When you got that call…I just have a feeling that it had something to do with me. I can't handle secrets; Dickie had more secrets than I could have ever imagined."

Shit. Tank had been right; we should have told her last night. "That's my fault, Babe. You're right about the phone call involving you, although we didn't know that at the time. Tank thought we should tell you last night but I wanted to wait until we knew something instead of just making assumptions. I'm sorry, Steph," I apologized.

"I forgive you," Steph said softly. "Can you tell me now?"

I nodded to Tank and he took over, giving me a minute to calm my racing heart and mind now that Steph was safe in my arms. "The call last night was about Ram; he got pulled over and arrested for DUI. Morelli made a courtesy call to Ric to let him know. He was released this morning and we brought him back here."

"Is he okay? Is there anything I can do for him? I need to go check on him!" Steph replied quickly. She had such a kind, giving heart.

I tightened my hold on her and shook my head. "No, Babe. Ram has been treated for PTSD and seems to be having issues right now. He went off this morning about how we'd ruined everything and you were supposed to be with him. And that message he left you – he's not okay right now. I hope I'm wrong, but I consider him to be a threat to you at the moment. That's why I was so panicked when we couldn't find you. We came to tell you what's going on, now that we have actual facts, and you were gone. You left your trackers and didn't have any way to protect yourself."

"I know I already said it, but I'm sorry," Steph said quietly. "I needed to get away and had Mary Lou come pick me up down the street. I won't do it again, I promise."

"You have to talk to us, Babe. If you need to run, need space – just tell us. We want to support you and give you everything that you need, but we can't do that if we don't know. Not knowing where you were or if you were safe – it killed me, Stephanie. I can't lose you. This whole thing made me realize how much I already love you."

Steph's eyes widened and her jaw dropped at my confession. "You…you love me? Why?"

I chuckled and ran my hand through her unruly curls. "Because you're amazing, Babe. You're gorgeous and smart. You're an amazing businesswoman. You're kind and accepting of us and our men. You're generous and loving. You're what this world needs more of," I told her.

"Ric and I both love you," Tank added softly.

"I…wow," she answered with tears in her eyes. "Thank you both. I mean, it's crazy and amazing that the men I've come to love so quickly love me too."

I grabbed my phone off my belt and hit the speed dial for Les. "We're offline for the rest of the day and not to be disturbed unless it's of utmost importance. You're in charge," I snapped before closing my phone.

"Whatcha gonna do all day long, Papi?" she asked with a sparkle in her eyes.

"You."


	34. Chapter 34

WARNING: This chapter is so totally NSFW. In fact, just call the whole story NSFW you've been warned! Now, grab your fire extinguisher and have fun!

* * *

Tank's POV

The moment Ric told Steph we were going to spend all day doing her broke the dam. Steph was instantly transformed into a little sex kitten who was intent on enjoying us both. Before I knew it she had stripped us both of our shirts and was doing sinful things to our chests with her hot little mouth. I managed to pull myself away just long enough to remove mine and Ric's utility belts and weapons before she pulled me back in and began nibbling on my nipples.

"Oh yeah, Mami. Just like that," I groaned as she bit down hard and palmed my throbbing erection through my cargos. The things she does to me! I pulled her face up to mine and kissed her hard, trying to show her how much she was affecting me.

"We're going to spend the entire day in bed, Babe," Ric growled. "I need to bury my cock inside of you." He unzipped his pants and slid them down his legs as he toed off his boots.

"You heard El Jefe, to the bedroom!" I ordered Steph.

"Not quite yet. You see...I've been a very bad girl this morning. I broke the rules and left without considering my safety. I need to be punished."

"Oh yeah?" Ric asked as he slowly stroked his dick.

"Yeah," she answered. She stood up and stripped her clothes off and then looked between us both. I could tell she wanted something and just waited her out. "I think I need to be taught a lesson," she finally said.

"Did you have something specific in mind?" I pressed. I really needed to be inside her.

"Mmm...I do. You both need to put me over your knee and spank me," she said coyly.

"You're serious?" I asked. I didn't want to hurt her, but fuck if the thought of a little spanking wasn't hot as hell.

She nodded her head yes. "Who wants to go first?" she asked.

I patted my lap and she laid herself over it with her perky little ass up in the air. I rubbed my hands over her ass and groaned as I felt the gush of moisture from her pussy. She was totally into this. I squeezed and then slapped her ass lightly, which made her let out a sultry moan.

"You like that?" I chuckled.

"Mmm...yeah. You'll have to spank me harder to make sure I learn my lesson," she moaned.

"You heard her, Gordito," Ric encouraged me, stroking his dick while he watched. I could tell this was turning him on too.

I lifted my hand and spanked her again, a little harder this time, and she shivered in my lap. "Yes! More!" she begged. Our girl was kinky. I could sure as hell get into this.

"You'll be quiet and take your punishment like a good girl, or I'll have to find something to occupy that mouth," I warned her. These apartments aren't soundproofed. I spanked her cheeks again and she shook uncontrollably as she orgasmed loudly. Holy fuck. This had to be one of the hottest things I'd ever done.

"Such a bad girl," I scolded. "You're just breaking all kinds of rules today, aren't you?"

"Yes, I need something to gag me," she begged.

Ric knelt in front of her and held his cock up to her lips. "I've got just the thing to keep you quiet, Babe." She opened her mouth and greedily accepted his throbbing cock. "That's it, yeah," he growled as he thrust in. As soon as her punishment was over, we were both going to be buried in her.

"Look at our bad girl, Jefe," I groaned. I raised my hand again and laid down several quick, sharp smacks to her ass, being careful to give her what she wanted without hurting her. She moaned and wriggled more and Ric pulled her mouth all the day down on his dick.

"Mmmm!" she moaned around him, obviously loving what we were doing to her.

"You like that, Babe?" Ric growled, and she nodded furiously. "Give her more, Gordito," he encouraged me.

"I rained down smacks over her ass and damn near came in my pants as I listened to her go crazy with pleasure. Ric reached back and laid down a few strategic smacks with me, turning her ass a nice shade of red.

"Have you learned your lesson yet?" Ric barked. She made a muffled sound of displeasure and shook her head. "More?" he asked, and she nodded again.

Ric licked his finger and rubbed his finger around her ass, giving her just a bit of pressure while I lightly spanked and rubbed her ass. She arched her back and thrust back into his hand, causing his finger to enter her slightly.

"You do that again and my finger will be all the way inside you, Babe. Is that what you want?" Ric asked. We had our answer as she pressed herself up into his finger. I watched as his finger disappeared into her ass and groaned. I was so hard it hurt.

She rode his finger shamelessly, wriggling and moving her body to force him deeper into her ass. All thoughts of spanking gone, I plunged my fingers into her soaking pussy. Ric and I worked our fingers inside her at the same time until she exploded into the mother of all orgasms and screamed.

"Fuck, Babe. I have to be inside you now," Ric growled as he slid his dick out of her mouth.

"Dammit, I do too!" I cursed.

"You can fuck me in the ass," Ric muttered as he picked Steph up and carried her to her bed.

"No!" Steph objected. We both stopped and looked at her questioningly. "I need you both. There's lube in the drawer. I want it. Please," she begged.

"You sure?" I asked her. She had specifically said she wasn't into butt stuff, but she did enjoy what Ric did the last time.

"God yes. I need to be with both of the men I love at the same time," she breathed out. I opened the drawer and grabbed the lube. Neither of us are small by any means, but Ric is a little bigger than me, so I seemed like the best option.

Ric laid down on the bed and positioned Steph over him so that she could ride him. She impaled herself on his hard shaft and rolled her hips. I spread some lube on my fingers and nodded to Ric. He reached up and began tweaking and rolling her nipples as he thrust up into her to help her to focus on him.

I positioned myself behind Steph and rubbed the lube on her and easily slid two fingers into her ass. Ric had prepped her well. "This okay?" I asked.

"Yes, more!" she moaned. I worked those two fingers inside her and then slid a third one in. She was nice and ready. I spread my fingers inside her, stretching her gently, and spread lube on my dick with my other hand.

"You ready?" I whispered in her ear.

"Yes," she answered quickly.

I pulled my fingers out and slipped myself between her cheeks. I slid forward little by little, giving her time to relax and adjust. As I felt her push back into me I pushed forward again and again until I was finally inside her.

"You okay?" I asked her.

"I'm so full," she keened, her body shaking from pleasure. "So good."

"I'm going to move now," I warned her. Ric and I began to move in a steady rhythm, alternating thrusting in and out of her as he pinched and rolled her nipples and I bit into her neck. Her shaking increased and she started swearing under her breath.

"Just let go and come for us, Mami," I encouraged her. "We've got you."

She nodded and threw her head back. "I want you both to come with me!" she yelled. Ric and I both picked up the pace and roared our releases as she screamed out and shook violently. After what seemed like forever, she collapsed on top of Ric. I rolled to the side to keep my weight off her.

"Mmmm...love you both," she mumbled sleepily, and before I knew it she was asleep.

"I guess it's time for a nap, huh?" I chuckled.

"I'm sure as hell not leaving her here alone. We'll nap with her so we can keep up with her later," Ric joked.

"Hope that's enough - she just keeps surprising me."

Ric pulled me into his side and I laced my fingers with Steph's. A nap with these two sounded perfect.


	35. Chapter 35

I'm so, so sorry for the long delay in a new chapter of this story. I had some major writer's block when it came to this plot line and struggled so much so I finally gave myself permission to not try to write for a while. Wouldn't you know, once I did that inspiration struck within a couple of weeks?! So, without further ado, here's the next chapter. Thank you for reading and reviewing; it seriously makes my day!

Steph's POV

I sighed happily as I leaned back in my chair and stretched. I'd been working on payroll and schedules for a couple of hours now my and ass was sore. I got up and walked into the breakroom for a cup of coffee and a – probably whole-grain, bran-filled – muffin before walking back toward my office.

Tank was in Ranger's office and I couldn't resist the opportunity to see my guys. I walked in and plopped down on Tank's lap and he laughed.

"Hey there, Mami. How's your day going?" he asked as he wrapped his arms around me.

"Good. I just finished payroll and next month's schedule so I decided that I deserved a little treat," I answered.

"You deserve a hell of a lot more than a muffin, Babe," Ric chuckled. "Thanks to you, everything gets done much more quickly and I won't have to listen to Tank whine about the paperwork tonight."

Tank flipped Ric off and I just laughed. I loved these moments with them. Hell, I loved every damn moment with them.

My own personal heaven was interrupted by my phone ringing and I rolled my eyes when I saw who it was. "My mother," I explained when they both looked at me questioningly.

You know we're going to have to face her sooner or later, Mami," Tank reminded me, and I nodded. He was right; we wanted to make sure my parents knew before it became public knowledge. I sighed and hit a button on my phone.

"Hi, Mom," I answered quickly before it went to voicemail.

"Stephanie, this is your mother. You haven't been over for dinner in a couple of weeks. What will the neighbors think? I expect to see you tonight."

"Tonight?" I asked, looking up at my guys. They both nodded, and I resigned myself to my fate. Apparently we were coming out tonight. I didn't mind anyone else; it was my mom who I didn't want to deal with.

"Yes, I'm making pot roast and pineapple upside down cake. Don't be late!"

"Mom, wait!" I shot out before she could hang up. "I'll have Ranger and Tank with me again tonight."

"Are you and that Ranger man still dating?" she asked.

"I'll see you tonight," I cut her off. I didn't want to discuss who I was dating until we could all have that conversation tonight. I had steadfastly avoided my mother and any conversations about my relationship status since the voicemails that sent me foolishly running away from my guys.

I clicked my phone off and dropped it into my lap. "You sure you guys are ready for this?" I asked. We'd been together for a few weeks now at this point and I knew it was time, but that didn't mean I was looking forward to rocking my mother's tiny worldview.

"I'm more worried about you, Babe," Ric answered. He stood and walked over in front of where I was sitting in Tank's lap and took my hand. "I know we talked about this, but if you've changed your mind…" he trailed off.

"No! Absolutely not!" I assured them. "I just know that I'm already a disappointment to my mother and she's never happy with what I do. I'm dreading hearing more about how I'll never meet her Burg expectations tonight. But hey, we've had a peaceful couple of weeks so it's time for some more excitement, right?"

Since the huge blow up with Ram, things had been blissfully peaceful. He was still on administrative leave and was staying somewhere offsite. His fob had been deactivated until he was cleared to duty - or not - so we didn't have to worry about him getting close to me when I'm inside the building. With that taken care of, we were able to relax and enjoy our time together. The rest of the guys had been overwhelmingly supportive of our relationship and we'd settled into our own normal. My apartment on four was rarely used other than to change clothes as we spent our evenings and nights together.

"We'll give you excitement when we get home tonight, Babe," Ranger growled, and I felt a gush of heat between my legs. I moaned out loud and Tank chuckled as he pulled me closer in his lap.

"Another pair of panties ruined, Mami?" he joked.

I smirked and stood up to walk out of the office before things got...out of hand. "Nope, I finally took your advice and didn't wear any," I informed them as I crossed the hall. I could hear their groans behind me and just laughed at them.

My afternoon flew by as I worked on research for our new skips and soon it was time to shut my computer down for the night. I was turning out my office light as Tank and Ric walked out of their offices.

"I'll go grab a dress from my apartment and meet you guys upstairs," I told them as they approached my door.

"We'll walk with you, Babe," Ric insisted, and I smiled and followed them to the elevator. I'd learned their secret - they didn't mind taking the elevator when they were with me because it gave them a few seconds to hold me en route.

We all got on the elevator together and Ric leaned against the back wall and pulled me into him. Tank scrambled the cameras and stepped in front of me, kissing me long and hard as his hard body pressed into mine.

"I've been waiting all day to do that, Mami," he whispered softly when he pulled back, and I swear I swooned. They both just had this crazy effect on me. My eyes glazed over and Ric laughed.

"Come on," he urged me when the elevator door opened. He ushered me into the hall and toward my door.

I let us in my apartment and headed toward the bedroom with the guys right behind me. I gathered up a navy wrap dress and my favorite pair of silver heels from my closet and then walked into the bathroom for my makeup bag. While I was gathering my beauty necessities Tank and Ric walked into my closet. I didn't think anything of it until I walked back into my room to see Ric holding a couple of my uniforms and Tank holding a weekend bag stuffed to the brim.

"Something you two want to tell me?" I asked with a laugh.

"Rex lives upstairs with us, so we thought it might be nice if his mom had clothes up there so she wasn't running back and forth a couple of times a day," Tank explained. I guess I could see the logic there. I literally only came downstairs to change or retrieve something; I spent every night between my guys.

"And just how much stuff did you pack?" I teased as I eyed the bag.

"Not nearly enough because you'll still need stuff from here. We have plenty of room in our closet, Babe. Wouldn't it be nice if everything you needed was upstairs?" Ric asked.

"And what if you guys get tired of me or want some space?" I asked. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought about how much more convenient it would be.

"Never gonna happen, Babe. We told you, it's a lifetime commitment for us," Ric said seriously.

"So you want me to move my clothes?" I asked.

"For starters. Right after we finish with your closet we can empty out the rest of the apartment," Tank answered. I looked up at their hopeful faces and couldn't deny them - or me - anything they wanted. We wanted.

"Dinner first, then you two crazies can help me move the rest of my stuff upstairs whenever you want," I agreed. And it's a damn good thing that I wasn't wearing any panties because the kisses they laid on me when I said yes would have definitely ruined them.


	36. Chapter 36

Ranger's POV

Steph miraculously seemed to find her zone on our way to her parents' house for dinner. The usually talkative, fidgety woman looked calm and in control. It was sexy as fuck and my dick immediately stood at attention. My desire for this dinner to be over quickly was even stronger than before. We needed to be back on seven ASAP, but first we had to face whatever was coming from Babe's family.

Helen and Edna were waiting on the porch when we pulled up and I saw Steph take a deep breath and steel herself as I put the car in park. Tank had helped her out of the car by the time I got around to the passenger side and I stepped up to Steph's right, taking the hand that Tank wasn't currently holding. Our message in surrounding her was clear – she had our unconditional support tonight and always. Steph squared her shoulders and we walked up toward the front porch and the ladies waiting for us.

"Mrs. Plum, Mrs. Mazur. Good evening," I greeted them with a nod as we ascended the steps, hoping to start the night off on the right foot.

"Stephanie Michelle Plum, get in the house! You're holding two men's hands; what will the neighbors think?" Helen hissed. So much for the right foot.

"They'll think I'm a very lucky lady if they have any brain at all," Steph shot back as she led us past Helen and Edna and into the front door.

Steph led us into the living room as Helen stomped her way into the kitchen. We heard a cabinet opening and slamming shut and about sixty seconds later she reappeared in the living room.

"Is what Joseph told me true, Stephanie?" Helen asked after she sat down on the couch. Frank and Edna were both looking at us intently.

"That depends. What did Joe tell you?" Steph asked. She wasn't giving over control to her mother and I was instantly proud of her.

"He told me that you're shacked up with two...men," she replied as she eyed Tank and I, the distaste clear in her tone, "who are thugs and common criminals."

Steph threw her head back and laughed and rolled her eyes. "Then no, what Joe told you most definitely isn't true," she answered. She gave her mom just enough time to relax before she continued. "I am in a committed relationship with two wonderful, honorable men who love me and would do anything for me. And while I haven't been "shacked up" as you so eloquently put it, I am moving in with them whenever they want to help me move my things."

Steph's mom crossed herself and Edna clacked her dentures around in her mouth. This was going about as well as I expected. Steph's mom sputtered for a moment and then opened her mouth again.

"Two men, Stephanie? What will everyone say?" she muttered. "That just isn't proper!"

Steph snorted out loud and Tank and I both had to work to hold in our laughter. "When have I ever been proper, Mom?" Steph asked rhetorically. "I'm happy. Ric and Tank have shown me more kindness, support, and love in the short time we've known each other than I've experienced in any relationship I've ever been in. And as for what people will say, I honestly can't find it within myself to care. I have to care more about what I think than what other people will."

Tank wrapped his arm around Steph and pulled her to him as his lips met her forehead and I stretched my arm around both of them and kissed the top of her head.

"We love your daughter, Mrs. Plum, and we're all very happy together. I hope that you can give us the support that Steph deserves," Tank said firmly, and I couldn't agree more.

Helen looked toward Frank and he cleared his throat. "I looked into both of you, and you're two fine men who have served our country exceptionally. While I can't speak for my wife, know that I trust you two with my baby girl and welcome you into our home and family," Frank spoke, and I exhaled deeply. At least we had his support.

"Ain't that a pip!" Edna piped up. "My baby granddaughter went and got herself two fine packages! If you two decide she's not enough to keep you happy, you come to me." Tank and I both paled and tried to hide behind Steph. That was a frightening thought.

Helen studied us more and then stood up silently. "Dinner is ready," she said softly before walking out of the living room. We all watched her go and Frank spoke up when she was in the kitchen.

"Give her some time, Pumpkin. She doesn't know how to deal with this, but she's not yelling and I haven't heard the cabinet open again. Hopefully she'll come around, but for right now her silence is the best you can expect."

Steph nodded and stepped into her father's arms for a tight hug. "Thank you, Daddy. And thank you for your approval," she whispered.

"Tank and I are both very grateful, sir," I added, and Tank nodded his agreement.

"You two taking care of my baby girl is all the thanks that I need," replied Frank. "Keep her safe and happy and we'll not have any problems."

"Of course, sir," Tank answered quickly.

"Call me Frank, son. Or is that sons?" he asked with a laugh, and just like that the tension was broken.

We all proceeded to the dining room for a polite dinner. We kept the small talk going in order to keep the silence from getting uncomfortable, but Helen never said another word the rest of the night. Once dinner and dessert were cleared from the table, the three of us took our leave. Frank and Edna wished us a good night as Helen busied herself in the kitchen. I guess a cold shoulder was better than outright hostility, especially since that hostility would be directed at Babe. That wouldn't be acceptable to Tank or me.

We walked out the door and Tank and I both kissed Steph before getting her situated in the back of the SUV. "You okay, Babe?" I asked when I pulled away from the curb.

"Yeah, I'm good. Just trying to process my mom's silence...that's a first," she said with a rueful chuckle.

"Hopefully it means she's thinking about things and at some point she'll decide to give you her support," Tank replied.

"We can hope, right?" Steph sighed.

We were all silent until we arrived back on seven, but the moment the door to the penthouse closed behind us, Steph threw herself into Tank's arms and pulled me closer to them.

"I feel like we should celebrate now that we're official," she purred while she worked on the buttons on Tank's shirt, and I was instantly hard just thinking about all the ways that I wanted to celebrate with her.

"I like the way you think, Babe," I growled.

Her tongue and lips were currently occupied by Tank's, so I busied myself with kissing and nipping at her neck and shoulder while I slid the zipper of her dress down. We'd been in such a rush to leave for dinner that I hadn't even realized she wasn't wearing a bra under her dress. Christ. It's probably a good thing that I hadn't known that; I would have either slid into her before we could ever get out of the apartment, or been too distracted to think straight during dinner.

I pulled the arms of her dress off and slowly let the dress fall to the ground just as she finally got Tank's shirt off. She was standing in between us in only a navy lace thong and sexy silver heels and I swear I almost came right then and there. I willed my body into submission and moved my hands to her supple breasts, pinching and rolling her nipples to hard peaks. She moaned out the sexiest sound and reached back to stroke me through my dress pants.

"Bed, now!" I growled. I picked her up and threw her over my shoulder. We all quickly relocated to our bedroom and I tossed Steph gently on the bed. I started to crawl up her body but she stopped me with a head shake and a wicked look.

"You two strip each other first. I want to watch my guys," she ordered. How the hell did we find the perfect woman for us?!

"Whatever you want, Babe," I growled.

I pulled Tank to me and kissed him hard, our tongues dueling for control. My hands went to his belt and fly as his went to my shirt. I had his hard dick in my hand in under a minute and my shirt and pants were gone not long after.

I heard a moan from the bed and looked over to see Steph's fingers sliding into her hot center. Fuck, that's hot. She saw us watching her and gave us a pointed look.

"You two continue. I've wanted to watch this since before we got together," she commanded us, and fuck me if it wasn't hot as hell. We knew she wanted to watch us, but we were always so enraptured by her that we didn't have the patience to wait before we could feast on her.

"Let's give her a show, Jefe," Tank murmured as he sank down onto his knees. He took me into his mouth and wasted no time sucking me down his throat.

"Jesus Christ!" I exclaimed. He was too damn good at that. Hell, Steph was too.

"Yum...so hot," Steph said as she watched us.

I let Tank continue his incredible work for a few minutes and then pulled him off of me. I couldn't take it anymore and had to be inside Steph. I pounced on her and pinned her arms above her head.

"My turn to play, Babe," I growled. "I'm going to fuck your hot little pussy. Do you want Tank to fuck me while I'm inside you?" I pressed my hips into hers, putting pressure on her entrance but not quite sliding in yet.

"God, yes," she exclaimed. She wiggled underneath me and spread her legs wider. "Please!" she begged.

I wasn't in any better shape than Steph, so I put us both out of our misery and pressed forward until my dick was buried deep within her. Jesus fucking Christ, this was heaven. She was so tight and wet, and so damn responsive. She was already muttering incoherently before I'd even started moving.

I moved my mouth down to latch on her nipple and stopped my hips as I felt Tank rub his lubed up dick on me. I swear my eyes rolled back in my head when Tank slid into me. Having him fucking me while I was balls deep in Steph - absolutely fucking incredible.

Tank set a punishing pace, and I fucked Steph just as hard and fast. I could spend my whole damn life just like this and it would never be enough. I braced myself on my elbows and moved my hands to Steph's perfect tits, pinching and licking and sucking them as she moaned and yelled for more. Our collective orgasms were loud and earth shattering, and we all three collapsed together in a boneless heap after we'd yelled our releases. Life couldn't possibly get any better than this.


End file.
